Secrets of the Past Lives
by Sailor Elf
Summary: When old enemies arrive in Haven City, Jak and company soon find out that the Group of 9 is back up to their old tricks. Former comrades, believed to be dead, return to help. In the process, they show that they were not the only ones who held secrets.
1. Arrival in Haven City

Disclaimer – No one you recognize from the Jak series never will be mine. Any originals are mine.

Summary – When old enemies arrive in Haven City, Jak and company soon find out that the Group of 9 may be back up to their old tricks. Allies they believed to be lost return to help and show them that they were not the only ones who held secrets.

00000

Secrets of the Past Lives

A figure watched the many zoomers as they continually zipped past him. He remained in the shadows, knowing that shouldn't be seen too many people. He knew they would talk if they had a good look at him and probably call for help. That, he did not want to happen.

"I know you got my messages, we talked a lot in the past several weeks, we arranged for you to get here, now where are you? You sounded very anxious to get back together. I know you wouldn't miss this for anything," he muttered.

He smiled once he saw the transport vehicle appear above him and prepare to land.

'_He's here. Finally,'_ he thought to himself.

He carefully watched the transport as it landed and several people stepped off of it. He smiled once the last one stepped off for it was the one he was waiting for. He stepped towards the elf, who was glancing around looking for him.

"Come this way my friend. We have been patiently waiting," the cloaked figure told him.

"I never expected to hear from you again. After we split up all those years ago, it was the last thing on my mind," the new elf said.

"Never underestimate the impossible Razer, for anything could happen. Even putting ourselves up for hire or returning to the old days after such a long time," the figure told him.

The figure led Razer down the street and into an alleyway. Razer glanced around, searching his mind to remember the long forgotten secrets. He had been in Kras City for so long, Haven City almost seemed foreign to him.

"You continue to surprise me, even after all these years," Razer mused.

He pulled out a cigarette and whipped out the lighter. He gave a small puff of smoke as the two continued to head down the alley. The first elf knocked on the door at the end. Footsteps were faintly heard inside and the door cracked open enough for the elf behind the door to see who was standing outside. He gave a smile as he opened the door further.

"Finally, I thought he'd never get here. Come on in," the reply came.

"Of course I'd come Anthar. I wouldn't miss this for the world," Razer smirked.

Rand stepped towards the table, placing his hands on the surface as Razer sat down in one of the chairs.

"Five of us are here. Now all we can do is wait for the other two to arrive. It is the only thing we really can do at the moment because we all know what happened to the other two members," Rand told the group.

He eyed the other elves present and gave a smile. Anthar glanced over at Jinx, who was sitting quietly at the far end of the table with his feet on the edge.

"Don't look so dejected, my friend. This is for the better good of us all. When those that are still alive finally reunite, we will be victorious," Anthar told him.

Jinx shrugged his shoulders, barely listening to what he was saying, or anyone else for that matter.

"Are you still worried about Torn and Tryce?" wondered Rand.

"Torn is still around? I didn't think he was still alive after the Kras City Grand Championship races," Razer put in.

"They were alive the last time we knew though they weren't doing that well. The last time we met, which was several months ago, they became severely injured and we haven't heard any information on them since then. They dropped from sight immediately afterwards so we can hope that they died from their wounds," Rand explained.

Razer's eyes grew at the information before giving a small smirk. He glanced at Jinx before his stare turned to the elf sitting quietly next to him.

"Moten, what do you think of this? Do you think they're still alive?" Razer wondered.

Moten perked up once he heard his name. He gave an evil smile as he glanced over at the pictures on the wall.

"I think we should find the two Clan idiots and make sure they're dead. After that, we continue with our plans to destroy the city," Moten replied.

Everyone put on a smile except for Jinx, who remained emotionless. He eyes moved towards Rand before deciding to put on a small smile himself. After all, it was his choice to rejoin the Group of 9 and he knew it was something he could never change. Jinx knew it was his fate to be in the shadows.

"I say we do it," Jinx finally said.

00000

Jak stepped through the door of the Naughty Ottsel to be greeted by Daxter and Tess. He smiled when he saw the two on top of the counter, gazing into each others eyes. Daxter looked over towards him long enough to see who it was.

"Hi Jak, it's nice to see you again. So what's cooking now?" he wondered in a dreamy voice.

"Daxter, what makes you think anything is going on? Can't a guy come see how his friends are doing after a recent harrowing adventure?" Jak told him.

"This is why I want to get as much loving in as I possibly can. Who knows when the next death defying adventure will be? One in which that I could possibly be killed?" replied Daxter.

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when the door swung open and a strangely familiar face stepped inside. Jak's eyebrows flew up in surprise once he saw who it was.

"Razer! What brings you here to Haven City?" demanded Jak.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Razer replied.

He began to move towards Daxter and Tess, who were now carefully watching the dark-haired elf.

"I remember you from the Bloody Hook back in Kras City. I shouldn't be surprised to see you in a bar, hmmm," Razer mused.

Daxter began to growl as he stepped towards Razer. He crossed his arms as he watched the rodent.

"You don't scare me, even after all this time," Daxter firmly said, minor fear evident in his voice.

"You should be for I know something that you do not. The only thing I will tell you is that I am here on business. I'm meeting some friends of mine later to talk about important details. Let me tell you that I was not kidding when I told you that Mizo was a far fairer soul than I," Razer explained.

He moved closer to the bar, hoping to get a drink but Jak stepped in between him and the ottsels. Razer smirked when he saw the action.

"You still don't trust me, do you? Fine then, I will leave. Be warned for the next time we meet, you won't be so lucky," Razer told them.

He walked out the door, leaving three confused people behind. Daxter scampered onto Jak's shoulder before he stepped closer to the door to watch Razer walk down the street.

"I have to wonder why he really is in town. What kind of business would an elf like him have in Haven City?" wondered Jak.

Daxter nodded, wishing that that Razer would leave the city entirely.

00000

Razer glanced back at the Naughty Ottsel, a huge grin crossing his face. He began to move closer to the center of Haven to get a feel of the city again. He glanced from side to side, watching the elves step past him, unaware of his dark secret.

He soon came across the Freedom Headquarters. He carefully watched the front door for several seconds when it decided to open to reveal Guards. He drew himself back into the shadows so he could watch them. He gave a lopsided smile when he saw Ashelin step out of the building.

"My, my if it isn't the dear Ashelin, commanding the troops of this pathetic city. I never really got to talk to her at the races in Kras City. I wonder how she is doing. One way or another, she will not be doing well so soon," Razer mused.

He continued to watch until they were out of sight before stepping out into the open again. He eyed the headquarters carefully before starting to head away from the building.

TBC…


	2. Another Unexpected Face

Daxter stepped into the room, followed by Jak. Ashelin greeted them by glancing up enough from the console.

"So how's the city coming along after its recent near destruction?" wondered Daxter.

"Everything's going along great. There have been no problems since then with the Group of 9. Although that's a good thing, we've also had no contact with Torn or Tryce, though I'm not surprised with the latter one. We have no idea if they're still alive or not," Ashelin told them.

"Please tell me that it's a good thing we haven't talked to those two. After all, why would they want to and why would we care?" Daxter replied.

"It's because they are the ones who helped us save the city. In the end, I don't know what I would have done without them," Ashelin snapped at him.

Daxter snapped his mouth shut, not wanting to anger Ashelin any further. Jak stepped forward, wanting to tell her about the interesting encounter they recently had.

"Ashelin, Razer's in Haven City," Jak stated.

The redhead appeared surprised with the name for she never expected to hear it again. She stopped with what she was doing in order to talk to them further about the news.

"Razer? We met him in Kras City, didn't we? I thought he wasn't going to be bothering us anymore," Ashelin wondered.

Jak shrugged his shoulders as he walked up to Ashelin's side. He glanced at what she was working with. When he saw that it was nothing concerning him, he slowly backed off.

"So what should we do about Razer then? Should we wait until he does something or confront him now?" wondered Jak.

"I'd say we wait. So far, he hasn't done anything to break our laws though I do have to wonder why he is here. He has no business in Haven City. As far as we know, he doesn't have any contacts here," Ashelin mused.

"But he does have contacts and business here. He said so himself but he obviously didn't give any names," Jak told her.

Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder and stepped towards Ashelin, a determined look on his face before a snicker formed in his mouth.

"Doesn't mean a thing but we don't have to worry a thing about him. We've taken care of him before and we can do it again," Daxter said.

"Only this time, we're not racing him. That makes it a whole new situation. We know he's dangerous on the track, but what about off? We shouldn't take this too lightly and be on our guard at all times," Jak put in.

Ashelin crossed her arms, wondering what to do next. She watched Daxter as he climbed back onto Jak's shoulder. She watched the two leave the room, wondering when they would encounter Razer next.

00000

Jak headed down the street, barely listening to what his friend was saying. Too many thoughts were going through his head to notice.

"…and so I was – Jak, are you even listening to me? I'm your best bud and you're not paying any attention to me in this dire time. What's wrong with you today?" Daxter protested.

"I'm not sure Dax. I think it's something about the fact Razer's in town. He's up to something really big. I can feel it," Jak explained.

Daxter crossed his arms as he stared at his friend. He motioned for Jak to stop to which he jumped off and stared at him. Jak could almost see the anger in his friend's face.

"Jak, that is one of the stupidest things I ever heard you say. Of course Razer's up to something and you know it's going to be no good!" the ottsel cried out.

Jak gave a small laugh and nodded, indicating that Daxter was correct. The ottsel gave a smug look before glancing towards a nearby alley. He stepped towards it, thinking that he saw something run into it out of the corner of his eye.

"Let's go check that alley out Jak. I thought I saw something," Daxter said.

Jak nodded before they began to head over to the buildings. They slowly moved, carefully watching the area for anyone or anything to jump out at them. When nothing came, Daxter gave a sigh.

"Good, there's nothing here. It was just my imagination. Let's go," Daxter sighed.

Jak gave a smile as they began to head back out of the alley when they heard a trashcan can rattle. The two turned back around to see a small figure in the semi-darkness. Daxter narrowed his eyes as he watched the newcomer, thinking he recognized him.

"It's you two! You will pay for everything that you've done! For all the crimes you've committed and the lives you've destroyed!" a familiar voice snarled.

"Jak, is that who I think it is?" Daxter questioned.

"Yes, it is. It's Veger. How did he get back to Haven City from the Wasteland and away from Kleiver?" Jak said.

Veger stepped out of the shadows, confirming their suspicions. The ottsel was very angry, apparently ready for anything despite his small stature.

"Let me take care of this Jak. After, someone his own size should deal with him," Daxter told his friend.

Jak nodded as Daxter stepped forward, arms crossed and a laugh in his voice.

"I'm not scared of you, Vegan," Daxter smirked.

"It's Veger, you idiot! Can't you ever remember that?" Veger snorted.

The two ottsels stared each other down before Daxter jumped towards Veger. The two tumbled around for several long moments. Jak remained careful not to interfere but his curiousity was fixated on them. All of a sudden, Jak saw a gun pop into view from his side. It was fired and the blast ricocheted off the ground near the two ottsels. Daxter and Veger both stopped and looked up to see who had pulled the trigger.

Once Veger saw who it was, he gave an evil sounding laugh before scurrying over to the newcomer. He climbed onto the shoulder, the new elf barely flinching as he aimed the gun towards Jak.

"What are you doing Cargo? Let's leave and find the others!" Veger demanded to know.

"Not yet old friend. We still have a nuisance to deal with. By what I overheard from you, we have to take care of these two immediately," Cargo replied.

He was prepared to fire when his communicator began to quietly beep. He growled as he turned to Veger, who quickly grabbed it and turned it on.

"What do you want now? I'm busy!" he demanded.

"Never mind them for now Cargo. We have plans to discuss," a voice told them.

Cargo snarled as he lowered his gun, barely containing his anger. He began to step away from them.

"The next time we meet, you will not be so lucky," Cargo told them.

He ran off into a nearby alley, leaving a confused duo behind. Daxter turned to face his friend as if to say 'what was that all about?'

"I don't know either Daxter. First, it's Razer who shows up, then Veger appears immediately afterwards. They must know something we don't and who was the guy that showed up to help him?" Jak posed.

"Beats me but we should let Ashelin know Veger's back. He could try to overthrow her title," Daxter said.

Jak nodded before they headed back to the palace, thinking about the situation the entire way.

00000

Ashelin picked up several papers on the console, glancing through what they said. Her mind went back to Razer and her curiousity was intensely growing to why he was in Haven City.

"I certainly hope that we have no trouble from Razer," she muttered.

All of a sudden, she felt a chill run down her spine and almost immediately after she felt it, she heard something clank behind her. Ashelin twirled around to see what it was to see nothing out of the ordinary.

"I wonder what that was all about?" she quietly asked.

She stepped forward, hoping to find whatever had made the noise but she couldn't what would have made it. She glanced towards the ceiling to find nothing there either. Ashelin decided to keep it in the back of her mind as she began to head back to her work.

Ashelin stepped back towards the computer, unaware that someone was indeed watching her from the rafters. He carefully watched her every move before giving a sigh, allowing his head to fall back against the wall.

"Ashelin, if you only knew the truth. The truth that has been kept from you your entire life. The Group of 9 has just as many secrets as we do," he whispered.

TBC…


	3. Intruder!

Sig made his way through the city, happy to be back in such a fine city, despite the news he was bringing to Ashelin. He stopped to watch the crowd mill around him. He wondered if they really ever knew how close they were to dying.

"That was a close one indeed," he muttered to himself.

Sig began to walk again when he thought he saw a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. He turned enough to see that it wasn't who he thought it was.

"I'm glad it wasn't him. I would have been very angry. Probably would've punched him in the face despite the fact he helped save the city," Sig quietly said.

He began to head towards the Freedom Headquarters again until he reached the doors. Sig slowly made his way inside and found Ashelin in the control room. She glanced to see who it was and smiled.

"Sig, it's good to see you again. What brings you to Haven City?" she wondered.

Sig sighed as he stepped closer to her. The smile on her face soon faded once she saw how serious he appeared to be.

"What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Ever since the incident with the Precursers, the people from Spargus had been keeping an eye on Kleiver and Veger in case they get into any trouble. We still have Kleiver in our sights but somehow, Veger has escaped his grasp," Sig told her.

Ashelin inwardly grimaced at the news. Veger was cunning bastard in her mind, no matter what his form was. She began to think of all the places she could have gone when Sig's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"We have no idea where he's gone or how. As far as we know, he doesn't have any contacts anywhere," Sig mentioned.

"We could say the same thing about Razer. He's in the city and we don't know why," Ashelin mused.

She placed a hand on her chin, barely noticing the slightly surprised look on the Wastelander's face. The curiousity began to build in his mind as well when a noise came from the door. The two looked to see Jak and Daxter step into the room.

"Sig, it's so good to see you again with such riff raff showing up in town," Daxter said.

"Ashelin just told me that Razer was in town so no surprise there," Sig told them.

"It's not just Razer. It's Veger as well. We just saw him and someone named Cargo helped him before they disappeared," Jak wondered.

Sig and Ashelin stared at each other in disbelief at the news.

"It can't be a coincidence that both of them are here in town!" Ashelin cried.

00000

The figure silently sitting above them paled at the mention of Veger. He knew he had to get out of there and get some planning into place. He slowly hung down by his legs before starting his way down the sheer wall, slowly moving along the wall.

He jumped onto the floor, the small group nearby not even noticing him. He headed towards the door when Jak noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head enough to see the extra body in the room.

"Ashelin, Sig, there's someone in the building!" he cried.

He pointed in the direction of the figure, who immediately panicked and began to flee from the room. Jak quickly followed him while Ashelin reached for a communicator.

"Attention all Guards, we have an intruder in the building! I repeat we have an intruder in the building!" Ashelin said.

Once she turned her attention back to Sig, she noticed that he had already left the room. She figured that he had gone after whoever was in the room.

00000

Cargo stepped into the building, the anger still simmering underneath the surface. Veger didn't want to say anything in order not to upset his friend any further. Cargo sat down to the table, not even glancing at the others. He crossed his arms as Rand walked up to him.

"It was for the best Cargo. We have to get prepared for the upcoming battle," Rand told him.

Cargo smirked once he heard that before glancing over at the others.

"So what are the plans?" wondered Veger.

Rand turned to the others as Razer stood up. Rand motioned for Razer to explain what was to happen.

"We're going to bring the dear Ashelin here and we are going to take over the city with her help. We have many ideas dealing with the young lady," Razer explained.

The group glanced at each other, grinning before turning back to Rand.

"The first problem will be getting her here. Every one of you knows she won't come willingly, even if we tell her the truth about her father. She'll hate us and him even more than what she does now," Rand told them.

"Then we do it the old way Rand. The way we used to do it back before Allana and Tharan were killed. Kidnap the person, leave a note behind and then bargain with the ones left behind. Only this time, it will take a lot more to get their friend back," Jinx piped up.

Moten began to nod his head, an indication that even he approved. Jinx was inwardly happy for Moten was not an easy elf to please, even at the last time he knew the elf.

"I never thought of that. You haven't forgotten the old days after all. We shall do that if everyone agrees," Rand said. "Anyone object to Jinx's plan?"

He glanced around at the table, getting nods from everyone. When he stare came to Cargo, the elf had a hand up to his chin, pondering the situation. The other six waited several long moments before Cargo finally nodded his head.

"Let's go ahead with the plan. If the two brothers are still alive after your last excursion, they might come out of hiding when they hear of either our return or her capture," Cargo said.

Rand gave a smile and a nod of the head. He reached for a piece of paper and something to write with before beginning to speak again.

"The sooner we start with how to get inside, the sooner things get underway," Rand said.

00000

Jak ran after the figure, keeping whoever it was in his sights despite all the moving around. At one point, the figure began to climb up the sheer wall. Jak's jaw began to drop in disbelief.

'_Whoever it is, is a monkey,'_ Jak thought to himself.

He followed the figure outside as the Guards began to gather around the building and fire upon the running elf. Jak continued to run after him, despite all the bullets that were being fired.

"Get out of the way or else you're going to get shot!" one of the Guards yelled.

"I'll get him!" Jak yelled back.

Jak followed the figure down the alleyway, pulling out his blaster along the way. In the back of his mind, the elf's movements seemed familiar. Jak soon pushed away that feeling in order to bring the intruder down. Jak looked further down the alley and saw that it was a dead end.

'_I've got him now!'_ Jak thought to himself.

But when the figure kept going, climbing up the wall instead of stopping, Jak was amazed. He aimed his gun and fired at the wall just above the figure. The elf was surprised and fell to the ground. He turned around to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

"You'd better have a good reason for being in the Freedom HQ or else I'm going to shoot and ask questions later," Jak told him.

"It's not me you have to worry about Jak," came a strangely familiar voice.

Jak's eyes widened and the gun was lowered slightly. Jak found he was able to see underneath the hood to have his suspicions confirmed.

"Torn," he barely said.

"I was there because I heard a rumour about Razer being in town. I wanted to see how much you knew. With Veger being back in town as well, they're going to be the bigger threat than what you will ever realize," Torn told him.

Jak dropped the gun entirely and began to step back, in total disbelief at the fact that Torn was still alive and indeed standing before him.

"Listen Jak, find Keira. She needs your help right now. Plus warn Ashelin about Razer and Veger! I have a feeling they're going to come after her," Torn explained.

Jak watched as Torn turned around and began to climb up the wall and disappeared once he reached the top. It took several long moments before everything Torn said sunk in and he began to run out of the alley in the search for Keira.

TBC…


	4. Beginnings of the Threat

Jak ran out of the alleyway, not caring that the guards were beginning to yell at him for not bringing down the intruder. He headed in the direction of Keira's apartment, hoping to find out if anything did indeed happen recently. Ashelin and Sig stepped out of the building just in time to see Jak rushing from the scene.

"Jak, where are you going?" she called out.

When Jak didn't answer, they instantly became worried about why he didn't stop. She had never seen him so worried in the time that she had known him.

"What do you think happened?" she wondered.

"I don't know but I think we should fin out," Sig replied.

So they hurriedly followed him to wherever he was heading.

"I have to find Keira. If not her, her father to see if he knows where she is," Jak told himself.

He ran into her apartment building, hoping that she was home. He began to buzz her room, desperately wanting her or her father to immediately answer.

"Keira, open the door!" he yelled.

After several long, tense moments, Jak growled before running out of the building. He soon found himself running into Samos.

"What's wrong Jak? You seemed extremely worried about something," the sage said.

"Where's Keira? I have to find her!" Jak cried.

"She might be over at the stadium but when I left our home, she was there. She said she wasn't going anywhere today," Samos replied.

Jak was slightly horrified as he turned to stare at the building he just recently visited. The reaction made Samos extremely nervous.

"I was just there Samos and no one was there," Jak finally told him.

The sage made him even more worried before the two hurried back to the building. Samos fumbled for the key to let them inside. When the door opened, Jak ran for the apartment. He pounded on the door, wanting her to answer but none came. Samos made his way over to Jak and quickly opened that door as well.

When Jak looked into the home, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Clothes were strewn everywhere. Several items from on tables were now on the floor.

"What happened here? It was not like this when I left earlier," Samos gasped.

"Keira, are you in here?" Jak called out.

He slowly moved around the room before he came to her bedroom.

"Oh my God!" he gasped.

Samos hurried to the door as Jak ran to the bed. Both were startled to find Keira lying unconscious on the floor with only a blanket over her.

"Keira, can you hear me?" Jak said to her.

With only a moan as the reply, he quickly scooped her up in his arms and began to make his way out of the room.

"Samos, you'd better call the guards. I'll take Keira to the hospital," Jak told him.

Samos nodded as Jak ran out of the building.

00000

Torn stepped in the underground basement to find Tryce already waiting for him. The older brother was sitting at the controls near the other side of the room.

"Find anything else?" Tryce wondered.

"Yeah, Veger and Cargo are both back in town too. It looks like the group's getting back together again. I wouldn't be surprised if Moten's with them right now. We have to move very carefully now," Torn replied.

"I hope that no one saw you," Tryce said.

Torn shook his head as he placed the cloak over one of the chairs. He calmly sat down next to his brother and stared at the screen.

"At least we managed to hide from them for this long," Tryce mused.

"It's our luck that they're getting back together again. Things were going so peaceful," Torn agreed.

Tryce nodded in agreement before the profiles for the members of the Group of 9 appeared on the screen before him.

"Who do you think will take over the role of leader?" wondered Tryce.

"I'd say Rand would. He's got the more powerful presence out of the ones left. If I remember correctly, he had tried to make himself leader before," Torn said.

Tryce didn't respond in any way as he stared at the screens within the walls. He was looking at one in particular, noticing a movement within its view. He narrowed his eyes in order to see who or what it was. Once he did, he gave a sigh of relief.

"Come on Torn, maybe Azan has some news for us," Tryce said.

The two walked up the stairs and opened the door for Azan to walk inside. With him, he carried a newspaper.

"The two of you better be careful. The paper's catching your trails again after all this time," Azan warned them.

He showed them the paper to find an article about a recent attack. Torn skimmed through it to find that the Clan was indeed mentioned within the article.

"We'll take care of that when we have a chance," Torn said.

Azan narrowed his eyes, wondering what the statement meant as he followed the two back into the building.

"What's going on?" he wondered.

"It's nothing that you have to concern yourself with Azan," Tryce replied.

"The hell it doesn't! If it wasn't for me, both of you would be dead right now. But you're alive and living in the same spot that you did before you were forced into the Guard, which you also acquired with my help. Now please tell me what I want to know," Azan retorted.

Torn and Tryce glanced at each other. The older brother motioned for Azan to follow and the two led him downstairs. Once he saw the screen, his eyes widened in surprise.

"No one but us knew anyone in the group. We know there were rumours of another renegade sect in the city besides us. Now you know for certain there was one. They are known as the Group of 9," Tryce said.

Azan looked at the nine faces on the screen before him, amazed at who he was looking at.

"The ones that are still alive are regrouping. Something big is going to happen and soon," Torn explained. "We'll have to stop them, as we've always had to do."

Azan nodded his head. In the back of his mind, he hoped that the two brothers wouldn't get themselves so close to death again in the process of saving the city yet again. He soon pointed to one of the faces.

"His daughter, does she know about all this?" he wondered.

"No, not a clue but she's going to find out during this excursion. We know she will," Tryce replied.

00000

Ashelin stepped into the hospital room to find Jak sitting quietly in a nearby chair, a worried look on his face.

"Jak, you couldn't have prevented this. No one saw this coming. I'm sorry that it happened too," Ashelin assured him.

Jak barely gave any indication that he even saw her walk into the room let alone heard her. Ashelin stepped over to Keira, slightly lowering her head.

"I assure you, we will find the man who attacked her and bring him to justice," Ashelin said.

"I will kill him myself," Jak coldly said. "That man who was in the Freedom HQ warned me about Keira. He somehow knew me and he also told me to warn you to be careful. I have no idea why."

Jak inwardly grimaced, hoping that Ashelin would believe him. He didn't want to let her know that it was Torn who warned him. He carefully watched her as she thought about what he said before nodding.

"We didn't see his face so I don't know if I should trust this warning or not. We'll just have to wait and see what happens," she mused.

Jak nodded, happy that she bought what he said. His stare went back to Keira when her father walked into the room. His face pleaded to be alone with his daughter to which Jak and Ashelin obliged.

As they headed down the hallway, towards the exit, Ashelin began to wonder about the newcomers in town.

"Jak, we should try to find Razer, Veger and the one that was called Cargo. Maybe we can find out what they're doing in town," Ashelin suggested.

"We could but you know they're going to be hard to find and even harder to make talk. When Dax and I saw Razer in the Naughty Ottsel, he didn't let on to why he was in town. All he really let on was that Mizo was indeed a far fairer soul that he was. We're probably going to find out why soon enough," Jak said

Ashelin gave a sigh as the two stepped out of the hospital to be greeted by Daxter and Tess. They crawled onto the shoulders of their friends before Daxter leaned against Jak's head.

"So how's Keira doing?" wondered Tess.

"Not good. We're just going to have to wait," Ashelin said.

"Never fear for Jak and I are on the job," Daxter cried out.

He immediately had three sets of eyes, wondering what he meant by that.

"To find and mangle the creep that did this to her. She's my friend too, you know," Daxter said.

Jak smiled, shaking his head before they started to head back to Freedom Headquarters, unaware they had more eyes watching them. Moten watched them from the shadows, with Veger sitting onto top his shoulder.

"There they go Veger. She will not be expecting anything that she is about to see," Moten muttered.

"Not at all and whoever sent their friend to the hospital has made our job easier," Veger mentioned.

Moten nodded in agreement before they began to head back to the hideout. A grin crossed his face with the knowledge they were so close in returning to the city's back alleys.

TBC...


	5. The First Move

Ashelin stepped out of the hospital and immediately shielded her eyes from the sunshine. Her stare went towards the sky as she wondered if anything was indeed going to happen. It had been a few days since Keira had been taken to the hospital and everything was turning out well for the young elf.

"This looks to be a promising day," she mused.

She began to head back to the headquarters, never noticing someone following her. The figure watched her, making sure not to be seen as he kept his distance.

Ashelin stepped up to the Freedom HQ doors when she felt a shiver run down her spine. She turned her head enough to look over her shoulder to see nothing out of the ordinary.

"I wonder where that came from?" she said.

She headed inside, allowing Moten to safely step up to the doors. He looked around the area to find no one paying any attention to him.

"Good. I've figured out her schedule. Now to go tell the others of what I learned," he quietly said.

In the back of his mind, he took notice of something crawling up his leg and onto his shoulder. He knew it to be Veger, returning from scouting around the area for guards.

"I'd say we're good to go Veger," Moten said.

Veger growled and was displeased with the plans the group had decided. Moten could tell what his friend was thinking without even asking.

"I do realize my friend, that we've always been the thinkers of the group. I know it is very strange for us to be out doing the footwork but you know why they will be more conspicuous than us," Moten told him.

Veger reluctantly nodded his head, knowing that his friend was correct as they began to head back.

00000

Jak silently sat in the chair, his stare aimed towards the floor. His elbows lay on his knees as his hands were clasped together and resting on his forehead. He had hardly left Keira's side since she was brought in and hoped that there was going to be no aftereffects from whatever happened.

When he heard a moan coming from the bed, his head bolted upwards, staring at the bed. He hurried over to his friend's side as she began to arouse from her extended sleep.

"Keira, can you hear me?" he questioned.

"Jak?" she managed to say.

"Yes, I'm here. Do you remember what happened?" Jak wondered.

Keira closed her eyes, trying to rack her brain for anything that she could recall but nothing came to her.

"I can't think – of anything. Mind's still too – groggy," she said.

Jak nodded, realizing his mistake in asking her this soon. Her eyes turned and locked with his, filled with intense curiousity.

"What did happen?" she managed to say.

"That's what we were hoping you could tell us. Your father and I found you unconscious in your room," Jak explained.

Keira's forehead furrowed as she began to wrack her brain to remember what happened. She placed a hand on her face, becoming slightly upset when it wasn't coming to her.

"I can't tell you. At least not yet I can't," she whispered.

She turned away from him, making Jak feel slightly terrible. He wanted to know what happened so he could punish the one who did it. Jak stepped away from the bed, thinking about everything that had recently happened.

"Jak, what's wrong?" Keira's voice called after him.

"It's nothing that you have to worry about. Some old 'friends' of ours are in Haven. I'll tell you all about it later," Jak replied.

Keira nodded as she watched him leave the room. She hoped she would remember what happened soon as she moved her aching body. As she stopped moving, a memory flashed through her mind of a hand covering mouth from behind. Fear began to overwhelm her, her eyes darting around the room. She gulped, wondering exactly what she was going to remember.

00000

Torn carefully watched the screens sitting in the wall before him, taking notes of what was happening within the tiny pictures. Tryce walked up behind his brother, a coffee cup sitting in his hand and sat down in the chair next to him.

"I see nothing's changed. Torn, I'm getting tired of waiting here," Tryce told him.

"I know that but I hope you do realize that we have no choice. They could attack at any time and any place," Torn wondered.

Tryce nodded, indicating that he already knew. Torn knew that his brother was getting edgy from the constant waiting as he placed a hand on his chin.

"I'd say we head out to patrol the hospital and Freedom HQ," suggested Tryce.

Torn thought about the idea before shaking his head. Tryce threw up his arms in slight disbelief as he began to turn away from his brother.

"Tryce, I don't like the idea either but we should wait to see what they've got planned and how to react to it accordingly," Torn replied.

"I suppose you're right but what do you think they're going to do?" wondered Tryce.

Torn shrugged his shoulders as they continued to watch the screens.

00000

Rand looked around at the other six elves sitting around the table. His stare soon came to Jinx, who appeared to be chipper than a few days earlier.

"Now, we execute our plans. Does everyone remember what they're supposed to do?" Rand questioned the group.

Everyone nodded their heads as everyone but Moten, who still had Veger sitting on top his shoulder, stood up.

"The two of you work on the rest of the plans until we return," Rand ordered them.

The two nodded as they watched the others head out of the room. Veger was beginning to have doubts and Moten could see it on his face.

"Do not worry, old friend. Things will go according to plan and I am confident now that the Clan brothers will not interfere," Moten assured him.

"It's not them I'm worried about, it's the other factors," Veger replied.

Moten carefully eyed him, wanting for him to continue with his thoughts.

00000

Jak stepped out of the hospital doors to be greeted by Samos and Ashelin. He smiled once he saw the two.

"How is she doing Jak?" wondered Samos.

"She's awake but doesn't remember anything yet," replied Jak.

Samos nodded before heading inside to see her. The two watched him leave before Ashelin turned to Jak.

"We still haven't found anything on the whereabouts of Razer, Veger, or this Cargo. We have no idea if the latter two have anything to do with Razer," she said.

Jak nodded as he began to pace back and forth.

"It's all so confusing," he muttered.

Ashelin crossed her arms and nodded in agreement. She carefully watched him before he turned back to her.

"I'm going to head back to HQ. I'll see if I can find anything else," Jak finally said.

"Go ahead. I'll meet you and Sig there later," Ashelin replied.

She moved enough to turn her back to him and head into the hospital when a hand grabbed her from behind.

"Hello Miss Ashelin. It's been a long time since the last time I saw you," an eerily familiar yet strange voice cooed into her ear.

She tried to protest and demand who he was but she found she couldn't move his hands or turn her head. She began to struggle but found that her captor was strong enough to hold her. Her eyes widened when she saw a recognizable face move into her view.

"Hello Ashelin. It is so nice to see you again. I don't know if you remember Cargo or not. You don't look happy to see us? Is there a problem?" questioned Rand.

Ashelin tried to yell at him but her words were muffled by Cargo's hand on her mouth. Rand quickly moved towards her, yet was prepared for anything she might throw.

"It's no use fighting. You could never escape this," Rand quietly told her.

He pulled out a cloth and handed it to Cargo, who slipped it onto Ashelin's mouth and dragged her into a nearby alleyway. Rand quickly searched the area for any witnesses before following them.

Ashelin looked around the alleyway to find others were slowly joining them.

"I don't think anyone saw us," Jinx's voice rung through her ears.

'_Jinx is here? That must mean Anthar's around here somewhere too,'_ she groggily thought to herself.

No sooner than she thought that sentence, than Anthar walked into her fading view with a face she never thought she'd see again. The new face gave her a smile just as her vision left her. Cargo laughed as he threw her over his shoulder.

"Let's get back before someone finds us," he said.

00000

Torn gasped, staring at the screen when Tryce stepped through the door to see his brother. Tryce hurried up to see what Torn was looking at only to see nothing on the screen.

"What happened, Torn? Tell me!" Tryce demanded.

Torn appeared dumbfounded as he slowly turned towards his brother. It took him several seconds to respond to what his brother was saying.

"They took her," Torn managed to choke out.

Tryce became worried and confused when as he carefully began to circle around his brother.

"Who took who here? I need an answer Torn!" Tryce began to yell at him.

Torn stared at the screen again before he gulped, unsure how to explain to his brother what happened. He gulped, not wanting to confront his brother with this information.

"Rand and the others just abducted Ashelin," Torn managed to spit out.

The colour began to drain from Tryce's face as he stared at the screens. He slowly stepped towards his brother.

"You do know what this probably means, right?" Tryce finally asked him.

Torn nodded his head, well knowing what his brother what was getting at.

00000

Sig watched Jak out of the corner of his eye, worried that the younger elf might get himself overtired.

"You should go get some rest Jak. You've been nonstop ever since you found Keira," Sig told him.

"I'll be fine. I can do this. You, Ashelin and I can find out who did this," Jak replied.

Sig sighed as he glanced towards the door. He narrowed his eyes, realizing that they were alone in the room.

"Speaking of Ashelin, where is she? She should have been back by now from the hospital," Sig wondered.

Jak took notice of what the Wastelander said and nodded in agreement. He wondered where she would have possibly gone after visiting Keira. He pulled out his communicator.

"Ashelin, do you hear me? What is your location?" Jak asked.

When no answer came, both Jak and Sig became worried as Daxter and Tess walked into the room.

"This isn't like her. Something must have happened," Jak said.

"No kidding," Sig snickered.

Daxter jumped onto the console, wondering what was going on that was so serious. Jak could sense his friend's curiousity and took a moment before explaining.

"Daxter, Ashelin's missing. She hasn't returned from the hospital yet and she's not answering her communicator," Jak replied.

"And from this, you think something must have happened? Yeah right, it did. She must have just gone somewhere and forgot to turn it back on. She doesn't have to tell you everywhere she goes," Daxter wondered.

Jak sighed as he turned to Tess to talk to her but he found he never had a chance when he saw something behind the female ottsel. Sig turned to see what exactly the younger elf was looking at when he saw the two figures standing in the doorway. Soon, everyone was watching the two when they stepped forward to reveal who was listening in on their conversation. Jak's eyes widened once he saw who it was.

"It's you. Both of you did survive," whispered Jak.

The two figures stepped up to the small group. Daxter jumped off the console and began to storm up to the them.

"What do the two of you want Torn? Speaking of which, how did the two of you live through that last excursion? The two of you were pretty beat up at the end of it," demanded the ottsel.

Torn growled as he grabbed Daxter by the throat, not caring who saw him or the fact he was choking the ottsel.

"For your information Daxter, we're here to help and it's none of your business how we survived," snarled Torn.

"You're here to help us? Why?" Sig wondered.

Without answering, Tryce slammed his hand down onto the console. Jak, Sig and Tess stared at him for several seconds, their minds in total confusion as to why he did that.

"The Group of 9 has her," Tryce told them.

TBC…


	6. New Information

"The Group of 9 has her? What would they want Ashelin for?" demanded Sig.

Tryce gave a deep sigh, not really wanting to answer the question. Sig noticed his silence and started to grow angry. He stormed towards the older brother, who continued to remain silent despite the much bigger elf hovering over him.

"There's something that you know about either Ashelin or the Group, isn't there? What is it?" Sig told him.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Tryce replied.

He glanced in Torn's direction just as the younger brother dropped the ottsel onto the floor. Sig barely moved his stare from the older brother and Tryce could feel the eyes boring right into him.

"Try me. I've seen a lot of strange things in my lifetime," Sig told him.

Daxter darted away from Torn and climbed onto Jak's shoulder. Jak appeared slightly upset as he watched the two brothers.

"What should we know before we head after them?" Jak asked.

"We're going to give you the profiles of the seven remaining members of the Group of 9. You should know who you're going up against," Torn said.

Daxter waved his arms in protest, which was joined by the the cry of 'waitaminute'. Torn managed to keep his emotions in check as the ottsel stepped up him with disbelief in his face. Torn's gaze turned downward, for he knew it was inevitable for this information to start finding its ways to the others.

"Don't you mean six? We already know of Jinx, Rand and Anthar," Daxter wondered.

"No, we mean seven. What we were trying to imply is that this has information about the seven members that are still alive, including those three," Tryce said.

Daxter's eyes flew up in surprise as Tess stepped up to his side. Everyone was showing their shock to the news.

"You mean two of them are dead? But how… when?" Tess wondered.

"When were you going to tell us this piece of information? Or were you not and let us find ot on our own?" Daxter asked.

Torn growled, nodding to indicate that it was indeed true that two of them were dead. He glanced towards the console before pulling out a small disc.

"You may think you know Jinx, Rand and Anthar from your last encounter with them but none of you really do. There is some information on here that all of you should probably know which you can go over later. Right now, we need to figure out a plan to save Ashelin," Torn said.

Jak narrowed his eyes, slightly tentative in trusting the two again. Tryce could sense the apprehension coming from the younger elves as Torn placed a disc onto the console.

"If you want, you can try and find her on your own," he posed.

Jak gave a sigh as he looked over at Sig, who gave a slow nod in agreement. Daxter snorted, crossing his arms. He didn't like how the situation was going considering how things went the last time they met.

"It looks like we have no choice if we want to get Ashelin back," Sig finally said.

The two brothers smiled once they saw the others reluctantly accept the help they offered.

"You'd better not double-cross us or else you're gonna pay dearly for it," Daxter finally piped up.

Torn shook his head as he led his brother, Sig and Tess into the other room. Jak remained behind, Daxter now sitting on top of his shoulder. He picked up the disc, wondering if the information they needed was truly on it.

"Do you think that this explains everything? I mean, Now that Torn and Tryce are alive, I'm wondering if there's anything about Razer or even Veger that we don't know. Maybe they are a part of Ashelin's abduction," Jak posed.

"Veger and Razer working together? I highly doubt it. They don't seem the type," Daxter replied.

Jak continued to stare at the disc before Daxter plucked it out of his friend's fingers. He tossed it back onto the console and stood between it and Jak.

"Listen Jak, we really haven't been able to trust this guy ever since he revealed himself to be a murderer. We can't completely trust him again. Actually, I never thought we could really," Daxter told him.

Jak shrugged his shoulders, grabbing the disc and placing it into a back pocket before running into the room after the others.

00000

The first thing Ashelin noticed was the smell. It was all too familiar and she didn't know why. She managed to slowly open her eyes, her still groggy mind not fully aware yet to where she was.

"Well, well, well, look who's finally awake," a familiar voice filled her ears.

Her eyes shot completely open to see Rand standing before her. She could see out of the corner of her eyes that they were sitting in a room. She noticed that the walls were windowless and bare, giving no real indication to where the room sat.

"Where am I?" she demanded.

"The others and I brought you to one of our hideouts. You may think that you have no use to us but you do," Rand replied.

Ashelin growled as she leapt towards him. Rand stepped out of her way and she crashed to the ground.

"Why did you bring me here? Tell me right now or else I'm going to punch you in the face!" threatened Ashelin.

"Temper, temper. I wouldn't dream of keeping that information from you. We brought you here because first of all, you belong with us. Secondly, you're going to help us take control of the city," Rand explained.

Ashelin's mouth turned into a snarl, not believing what he was asking her to do. She stood up and faced Rand, ready to punch his face in at any given moment.

"I will never help you. My place is protecting the city from scumbags like you, not control it," she retorted.

"But you have to for we have rights to the city whether you want to believe us or not!" Rand replied.

Ashelin balled her hands up into a fist, not believing what she was hearing from Rand. He stepped towards the door as a knock filled their ears. Rand opened up the door to allow Razer to step into the room.

"My, my, my Ashelin, control your temper now. It's been far too long and it seems that you haven't changed one bit," Razer said.

"I only saw you recently in Kras City. It wasn't a pleasant meeting then and it isn't now. I didn't think you were the type to sink yourself to Rand's level," Ashelin snorted.

Razer growled before rushing towards Ashelin and slamming her into the wall. She grimaced slightly as she stared at Razer with one eye.

"You better be careful on what you say. The past holds much information and could potentially yield itself if one lets it. Before I went to Kras City to pursue a racing career, I lived here in Haven City and I secretly lived as a member of the Group of 9, just like Rand, Jinx and Anthar," Razer quietly told her.

Ashelin's eyes flew in total surprise. She tried to gulp but found she was unable to do so. Razer released the redhead, allowing her to drop to her knees. She violently coughed as Rand knelt down beside her.

"We will let you consider our offer. You'll have lots of time to think about it," Rand barely told her.

She watched as the two stepped out of the room. Once out of sight, Ashelin spat in their direction before slowly crawling towards the corner.

00000

Razer crossed his arms, watching Rand out of the corner of his eye. They stepped into the room to greet the others. Razer turned towards the self-proclaimed leader and narrowed his eyes.

"When _are_ you going to tell her? You know she's going to have to find out the truth sooner or later," he wondered.

Rand snickered as he turned his towards Jinx for a split second before twisting his eyes to look at the others.

"If all goes according to plan, we won't have to," Rand replied.

TBC…


	7. Reencounters

Sorry for such a long update!

00000

Sig carefully watched Tryce and Torn. The younger brother was sitting at one of the tables while the older one was pacing back and forth.

"So what's your plan? It's not like we have time to scour the city searching for them," Sig wondered.

"We will search. They have made the first move but we have made the second by coming to you. Now, it's fair game on who gets the third. That's the way we have always operated," Torn replied.

Sig's eyes flew up in mild surprise as Jak and Daxter walked into the room. The three waited to see if the two brothers would proceed with an explanation.

"We know a couple of them will be out wandering the streets, while they wait for the others to deal with Ashelin. We'll be out searching for them. Meanwhile, all of you need to be informed of who exactly you're going to be up against," Tryce explained.

Jak pulled out the disk to look at it. Sig noticed the small device and it made the Wastelander uneasy. None of them were expecting the best from these two after what they found out the last time they met. Torn's head barely moved but his eyes turned up towards the three.

"You don't trust us though I can't really blame you. If that's the way you feel, we're going to give you a choice. You can either find her on your own or with our help. You have 24 hours to make up your mind. In the meantime, Tryce and I have some searching to do," Torn told them.

He stood up and the two started to head out of the room. Jak stepped towards Sig's side and gave a sigh.

"What do you think?" wondered Sig.

"I think we should definitely do some looking. Now that we know the truth about them, I don't think they would give anything up lightly. I say we check this out later. I've got to visit someone first," Jak mused.

Sig nodded as he watched the younger elf head out of the room.

00000

Keira silently sat in her hospital bed, wondering what to do next when Jak stepped into the room. She gave a small smile but that quickly disappeared once she saw the grim stare on his face.

"What's wrong Jak?" she barely managed to ask.

"Ashelin's been kidnapped and in light of that, Torn and Tryce have arrived at Freedom HQ. I'm still trying to figure out if they need our help or we need theirs," Jak explained.

Keira thought about what Jak said for a moment before another memory flashed before her eyes. A terrified look crossed her face and Jak immediately noticed it. He grabbed her hand and looked at her with curious eyes.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I saw another part of what happened the other night. It was still a bit unclear but I do remember someone standing over. I didn't see the face in this one either," Keira quietly replied.

Jak slightly lowered his head, the thought of revenge swirling through his mind about the situation. He stood up and started to pace between the wall and the bed.

"What are you going to do Jak?" he heard Keira ask.

That broke Jak out of his reverie and he turned back towards her with a small smile on his face.

"About what? There are lots of things going on right now," Jak said.

"When I remember who attacked me, what are you going to be doing?" she wondered.

Jak's stare turned towards the floor, not wanting to answer her for he knew she wouldn't like it. He really didn't want to go into details for her. Keira noticed his reluctance and sighed for she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Jak, you can't save everyone. it's just not possible," she barely told him.

"I know but I feel I should have stopped this from happening to you," Jak told her.

Jak turned away from her, unable to look into her eyes. She gently placed a hand on his cheek and moved her eyes back towards her.

"Jak, I'm not blaming you for this. I want to get back at this jerk just as much as you do. Now go help find Ashelin," Keira told him.

Jak nodded before starting to head towards the door. He glanced back at Keira one last time before stepping out of the room. The fear ran through his mind that they would end up finding Ashelin dead.

00000

Jinx glanced from side to side at the people bustling through the streets, unaware that their leader was currently being held captive.

"If they only knew," he muttered to himself.

He began to head down a street that led towards the port when a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind. Jinx twirled around, expecting it to be an attacker when he saw Cargo standing before him.

"What brings you here? I thought you and Veger would be holed up in some room, workin' out the final plans for the next little bit," wondered Jinx.

"The reason is safety, my friend. We're all forgetting aspects of the old days. It seems that you have forgotten this part. You know that this just might be the third move," Cargo replied.

Jinx mentally reprimanded himself forgetting that little detail but he knew that the two brothers might not be alive and this would be a downfall for the people of Haven.

"If Torn and Tryce are still alive, we'll know soon enough. Until then, it's not safe for any of us to be out alone," Cargo assured him.

Jinx nodded before they started to head down the street when a familiar noise passed his ear. He glanced towards the ground to see a bullet embedded in the ground. Jinx and Cargo twirled around to find a recognizable figure carrying a gun.

"Torn. So the two of you are alive then," Cargo smirked.

"Yes, we are alive. Now it's your turn to taste death," came the reply.

The gun was fired again and this one grazed Jinx in the shoulder. The blonde hissed as he grasped his arm. Cargo reached for his gun as the people around them began to panic and run around for their lives.

"It's too bad you're by yourself! Your brother can't watch you die!" Cargo yelled at him.

Torn didn't reply as the last of the people ran from the area. He began to stride towards the two Group members.

"Where's Ashelin?" demanded Torn.

"What's it to you? You know who her father is," Cargo retorted.

"Correction you dork, I know who her father was. He was a tyrant!" Torn snorted.

Cargo growled as he threw down his gun and lunged for Torn. The action caught Torn slightly unawares as he found himself being thrown to the ground. The gun went off, startling several nearby birds. Cargo tried to pin Torn to the ground but the Clan member was struggling.

"You will not defeat us again. We will successfully take over the city!" Cargo snarled.

Torn growled, trying to push cargo from off him. He was failing miserably when Cargo pushed his arms to the ground, causing him to drop the gun. The Group member laughed as he quickly shoved the gun into Jinx's direction.

Jinx reached down and grabbed it. He glanced between his two friends and the gun, wondering what he should truly do. He found himself torn on what to do.

"Jinx, what are you waiting for? Shoot him!" Cargo yelled at him.

Jinx gently held up the gun, aiming it at the two rolling around on the ground, waiting for the two to slow down enough for him to shoot when all of a sudden, a hand reached up from behind him and grabbed the gun from out of Jinx's grasp. Jinx glanced to see who it was and inwardly gasped.

"You're the demolitions expert Jinx, not a marksman like I am," Anthar told him.

He aimed the gun towards the two and fired. Torn gritted his teeth as Cargo climbed to his feet. Torn looked at his shoulder as the pain began to slowly set in. Blood began to slowly drip down his arm.

"Nice shot!" Cargo snickered.

Anthar smiled as he aimed his gun back at Torn. For a few long seconds, the four of them stood there, no words passing between them.

"Prepare to die," Anthar cheerfully said.

Before Anthar could fire again, Torn darted towards a nearby street. Anthar quickly fired at Torn as he and Cargo quickly followed to find an empty alleyway. The two growled, never noticing the figure watching them from above.

"Let's head back. We should give the others the news that we still have a rivalry and get Jinx's wound dealt with," Anthar told Cargo.

00000

Ashelin paced back and forth, impatiently waiting for anyone to return. When she heard the door open, she stared at Rand and Razer as they stepped into the room.

"So you finally decided to come back. What do you want now?" Ashelin spat at them.

Rand circled Ashelin, who balled up her fist and tried not to punch him in the face. Rand leaned in towards her and smiled.

"A few of us met up with an old friend of yours. Someone you believed to be dead," Rand barely told her.

"Torn is alive?" Ashelin gasped.

"They won't be for much longer, when we find them. Unless. Of course, Torn dies from his gunshot wound before then," Razer piped up.

Ashelin glanced between them, horrified with this news. Rand brushed her hair aside and she immediately swatted his hand away.

"We're going to make our demands a little sooner than originally planned but no matter what they do, they really can't bargain for your safe return. No matter what any of them do, you are not leaving the Group of 9. There is one thing you need to understand. You are more closely tied to us than you thought," Rand explained.

TBC…


	8. Making Demands

Jak walked into the room, hoping that there would be some good news. Once he saw the look on Sig's face, he knew that he was about to be told something bad.

"Our 'friends' neglected to tell us a couple of things," the Wastelander grimly told him.

Jak slightly cocked his head with interest as a familiar face popped onto the screen. It was Rand's and Jak was slightly confused before Sig turned to the next profile to reveal Veger. At least what he used to look like before the incident with the Precursers.

"He was one of the nine? I don't believe it!" Jak cried out

"That's not the half of it," Sig said.

He turned to the next profile to reveal Razer. Jak's eyes opened wide for he was never expecting to see both of them in the same room together, so to speak.

"It looks like these guys are going to be one bad mixture. Rand, Anthar, Jinx, Veger and Razer? I can't see why Torn didn't out these guys earlier," Sig mused.

"Probably because he knew they had something on him. The fact he was part of the Clan," Jak reminded him.

Sig gave a small sigh as he read what was underneath Razer's photo. Jak paced back and forth, wondering what was going to happen next when a loud noise came from outside the room. Jak and Sig both grabbed their guns to prepare themselves for whoever was coming through the door.

Anthar, Moten and Cargo burst through the door, wielding their guns. Anthar smirked as he glanced towards the nearby wall to see Veger scurrying down and climb onto Moten's shoulder.

"What brings the likes of you here?" demanded Jak.

"We're here to tell you our terms. If you don't do as we say, you'll never see your precious governor again," Anthar replied.

He aimed his gun at the two as Moten strode over to the computer and saw the profile on the screen. Veger jumped down and took the disc out of the console. Moten grabbed it from him and shoved it into his back pocket.

"What is it that you want?" Jak wondered.

"We want you to back down completely and allow us to employ our plans from here. If you don't, we will seriously harm your precious Ashelin. By the way, don't bother to come looking for her. You'll understand why soon enough," began Cargo.

Sig growled, unsure how to respond to their threats. Anthar strode over to the Wastelander, knowing fully well what he was thinking.

"I don't think you fully comprehend what we're saying here. We're telling you to get out of here and allow us to take over the city. There's also Ashelin, who you shouldn't bother with anymore. But we'll still harm her anyway if you don't comply with our requests," Anthar quietly told him.

Sig began to lift his gun when Cargo rushed over and kicked it away from him, standing between the Wastelander and the Peacemaker.

"Don't even think about it," Cargo warned him.

"There's one more thing we'd like you to do," Anthar said.

He stepped up to Jak, the younger elf tensing up, unsure when Anthar was going to strike out. Jak backed up slightly before realizing he was back up against the wall. Jak's suspicions were confirmed when Anthar slammed his fist into the wall about an inch from Jak's head.

"Give your friend, Torn, a message from us. Tell him he is to meet us at the usual spot at dusk tonight. He'll know the place I'm talking about," Anthar quietly told him.

Jak was wide-eyed as he and Sig watched the four leave the room. Sig ran to grab his gun and hurried out the door to find no one there. He gave an exasperated sigh before returning to where Jak was standing.

"What do you make of that?" wondered Sig.

Sig soon found he wasn't going to get an immediate response. He stepped up to Jak, who had a blank look on his face. The Wastelander was about to turn around and lead him to another room when the younger elf pulled away.

"I have no idea. What do you think we should do? If we listen to what they want, they win," Jak suddenly replied

"But if we don't agree, they might kill Ashelin. I know. It's a tough choice that we will eventually have to make," Sig replied.

Jak gave a slight nod before starting to head out the door with Sig.

00000

Torn made his way into the downstairs room of his house and gently sat down on the bed. He slowly removed the armour to reveal the wound on his shoulder and now he found he had one on his side as well. He grew angry at the idea he wore lighter armour, meant more for scouting than actual combat and the fact he didn't feel the second bullet.

"Perfect. This is all I needed now," he muttered.

He began to tend to it when he heard a noise coming from the stairway. He jumped out of the bed and put his back against the wall, mentally reprimanding himself for leading someone to the back of the house.

"Torn, where are you? I saw you come down here so don't try to hide it," Azan called out.

Torn sighed, grabbing his armour from its position on the floor. He put it back before heading out of the room to greet his old friend.

"What can I help you with?" Torn wondered.

"I've been worried about you two. I'm afraid that with this new problem arising, you're going to go get yourselves killed. You almost did the last time you faced them," Azan replied.

"It comes with the territory," Torn simply said.

Torn turned away but Azan grabbed his injured arm. Torn managed to hide the slight wince as he turned his head enough to look at his old friend.

"I've known your family for as long as I can remember. Even though I haven't seen you in years or known a certain fact until recently, I feel I should step in as a parent figure. You should not be going after these guys by yourselves," Azan explained.

Torn began to laugh at the elf's naivety and the fact he couldn't see it. Azan gave Torn a weird look, wondering what was so funny.

"I'll explain later. All I'll tell you now is that you shouldn't worry. What I do can be compared to riding a zoomer. You don't forget how to do it," Torn replied.

Azan watched him as he walked towards a wall and pressed one of the bricks, allowing a section of wall to move enough for him to pass.

When out of sight, Torn placed a hand on his side, the pain now throbbing throughout his entire side and shoulder. He gritted his teeth, hoping that the injury wouldn't slow him down too much.

00000

Jinx hissed as the medication covered his wound. Rand sighed as he shook his head and stared at his friend.

"Stop you complaining. It's not my fault you got shot," Rand said.

"It's not mine either. Might I remind you that Torn didn't fair too well," Jinx protested.

Rand nodded as he wrapped the wound with a bandage. Jinx tried to move his arm but found he couldn't move it that far without it hurting.

"Don't worry, my friend. You're going to be fine in our upcoming mission," Rand said.

Jinx looked at his friend with curious eyes before Rand continued to explain.

"I've got a plan which has already been started. All we have to do now is wait for an old friend of yours to show up at the rendezvous and then things can get underway. Get ready, you're coming with us. You're not out of commission just yet," Rand replied.

Rand gave Jinx a piece of paper. He turned around, leaving a slightly shocked friend behind. Jinx stood up and read the words written on the paper before giving a small sigh.

"Should've known that was coming," he quietly said.

00000

Jak watched Sig as they walk past the many buildings if the industrial section of the city. The blonde could tell that the Wastelander was in no mood for anything.

"This is making me so nervous. It seems like everything's taking forever," Sig muttered.

Jak didn't reply and he really didn't want to talk much. He wasn't paying attention either for his mind kept switching back and forth between Keira and Torn. His concentration was broken when he heard a familiar voice call out his name. His eyes darted to see Daxter standing next to him.

"I wish I could you guys to lighten up," the ottsel told them.

"I wish these circumstances were different," Jak replied.

Daxter shook his head, never noticing the figures quickly walking up to them. He noticed the silhouettes swiftly overcoming him. Daxter slowly turned around to find two dark forms hovering above him, covered in cloaks and hoods.

"Ahhh! They've come to kill me!" Daxter cried out.

He promptly scurried up Jak's leg and tried to hide behind his head. Jak and Sig were inwardly prepared for anything as the two figures lifted their heads to reveal Torn and Tryce.

"You look like you were expecting a ghost," Tryce mused.

"We weren't expecting you. What's with the disguises?" Jak said.

"These people believe we're deceased. It wouldn't be the best if we were suddenly resurrected from the dead," Torn explained.

"Have you made a decision yet?" Tryce quickly piped up.

Sig and Jak glanced at each other, unsure how to answer them. Both brothers grew worried for they weren't sure to expect now.

"We had visitors earlier at HQ. Several members of the Group broke in and threatened us. They wanted us to get out of there or else they're going to harm Ashelin," Jak explained.

Torn and Tryce glanced between each other, knowing exactly where the situation was heading. The paced back and forth, wondering how they should deal with this problem.

"Torn," Jak said.

Torn looked in the direction of Jak and not saying a words, waited for him to continue with what he waned to say.

"They wanted me to pass a message onto you. They wanted to tell you to meet them at the usual place at dusk," Jak said.

Torn thought about the statement before glancing at the sky and seeing how dark it was getting. He darted away from the scene, leaving Tryce behind with a slightly angry look on his face.

"I hate to admit it but I believe we do need your help. It now looks like this is getting beyond our control," Sig finally admitted.

Tryce then gave a smile, knowing that he was in control now before they began to head towards the Freedom Headquarters. Along the way, Jak began to diverge to another road.

"You three continue heading there. I've got to see someone," Jak told them.

Sig nodded, a bit uneasy about the whole situation. He didn't want to tell Jak but he feared they were just getting in the middle of a gang war, so to speak.

00000

Torn stepped onto the platform in the middle of the Port and glanced around the area. Seeing none of them, he headed towards the tall pillar nearby when a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind. He twirled around and grasped the arm of Razer.

"My, my, you haven't changed at all. I know I didn't have much contact with you in Kras City but you appeared to be doing well after all these years," Razer told him.

"What is it that you want Razer? Jak told me you guys wanted to see me," Torn snorted.

Razer glanced over his shoulder to see Moten, Cargo Veger walking towards them. They surrounded him, making Torn's suspicions correct that they had set him up in a trap. Razer whipped out his cigarette and lighter, giving a small puff of smoke before anyone continued.

"Rand is prepared to make you an offer," Moten said from behind him.

"What kind of offer? Why didn't he come see me himself?" wondered Torn.

"He's a busy man. After all, he has appointed himself as leader since our previous one and his second-in-command are both dead," Veger replied.

Torn snorted as he carefully watched all four of them. Razer eyed him, knowing fully well what the response was going to be.

"Listen Torn, we all know that here isn't the best place to discuss this. If you trust us enough, come with and listen to what he has to say. All we can really tell you now is that it deals with your dear friend Ashelin," Razer told him.

Torn thought about the proposal before nodding his head. The four smiled to themselves before beginning to lead him away from the Port.

TBC...


	9. Revelations

Sorry for the delay. Had problems with mycomputer.

00000

Razer opened the door, Torn and the others swiftly following. Torn glanced around at the walls, noting the few maps and pictures scattered around the walls. He took notice that Razer had stopped in front of a door and figured that Rand was waiting inside.

"He's in there. Don't want to keep him waiting, hmmm?" Razer posed.

Torn carefully watched the four before carefully headed into the room. Moten, with Veger sitting on top his shoulder stepped up to Razer.

"Do you think he'll really agree to it? You know they've never been a stupid bunch," Moten wondered.

"He'll do it. I've seen how he has looked at Ashelin. He's always adored her so, despite what he's always been and who she is," Razer replied.

00000

Torn stepped into the room only to be greeted by Rand. Ashelin was sitting in a chair in front of him and her mouth was gagged.

"So you did decide to join us Torn. We're both very excited to see you," Rand told him.

"Cut the crap. What's so important that you want me here?" Torn demanded to know.

Ashelin watched as Rand stepped close enough to the Clan member that Torn could feel the breath down his back. A snarl began to appear on Torn's mouth, making Rand snicker.

"I'm prepared to offer you a deal, something that both of us will benefit from," Rand whispered to Torn.

Torn resisted the urge to punch his lights out so he could listen to whatever Rand had to tell him.

"Here is what we're proposing Torn. You get to do whatever you want with our dear Ashelin here. We know how you work sometimes with your victims and you know what we're talking about," Rand told him.

Torn gave an inward gasp, instantly knowing what the elf was implying. Torn stared at Ashelin for a moment before his view was obscured by Rand. Ashelin had seen the look on Torn's face before her vision was blocked and it appeared to be one of 'are you kidding?'

"What about you? What would you want?" Torn demanded.

"It's simple really. We want information. You tell us what we want to know and you have your way," Rand replied.

"And what kind of information would you possibly want from me?" Torn wondered.

"You'll only find out if you agree. Just to let you know, if you don't agree with this, your brother will die and so will everyone you have to know and maybe even love," Rand replied.

'_Azan. They might know about him. He can't get involved in this for it has never been his fight and I can't let my brother die, despite the fact we haven't always gotten along. In fact, we've been closer than ever before and then there's Onin!' _Torn thought

Torn remained quiet as he thought about the offer, unsure what exactly he should do. After several long moments, Torn had not said a word making Rand wonder what was going through his mind.

"Your time's almost up Torn. Make your decision soon enough," Rand warned him.

When Torn still didn't answer, Rand reached for a communicator when a hand grabbed his wrist, preventing him from doing so.

"I'll do it. I'll tell you whatever you want to know," Torn told him.

Rand gave a smile before putting the communicator back into his pocket. He pushed Ashelin into one of the corners as he and Torn headed towards the desk and began to talk quietly, making Ashelin wonder what they were discussing. She noticed that Rand spread a piece of paper out onto the table and wondered what it contained. She also noticed that not one word of protest emitted from Torn.

'_What do they have planned now? They probably won't tell me just yet,'_ she thought.

After several tense moments, the two shook hands before Torn walked over to Ashelin. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet.

"It's down the hall. Have fun," Rand called after him.

Torn didn't reply as he led Ashelin down the hall. He found the room soon enough and shoved her inside. He untied her bounds and she tried to punch him. He blocked her attack and she snarled.

"I never knew you were capable of such treachery. I'm not sure why we let you and your brother live," she snorted.

"You let us live because of what you believed your entire life about my family. Then there's the fact that Jak was not the only one who saved the city and maybe there's your remaining feelings towards me," Torn replied.

"If my father were here, he would hunt the likes of you and Rand down. He would've made prime examples of you and everyone associated with you. I know he would have," Ashelin told him.

Torn listened to what she said and began to laugh out loud before she even finished talking. That reaction caused much confusion to Ashelin and she wondered what was so funny about her father. Before she could ask, Torn tackled her into the wall and pressed her there.

"He had his chance. Plenty actually and he never took any of them. In fact, if he were here today he would not touch any one of them or me. The reality is Ashelin, he would be helping _them_ in _their_ whole scheme," Torn quietly told her.

Ashelin's eyes widened at the statement. She wasn't completely certain she heard correctly but by what she understood, she didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Do you realize what I'm talking about? The reason they were able to make their way so far into the government is the same reason my family were able to become so prominent within the city! Secrecy! Your father, Baron Praxis, was a member of the Group of 9!" Torn yelled at her.

00000

Rand stepped out to be greeted by the other members and gave a smile.

"He agreed. We have the information we need. We'll come back for her later," Rand told them.

Everyone smiled except for Jinx. He had a boding feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong. Even more so than anything they had ever experienced before.

"We leave now! All of you know what you have to do!" Rand cried.

The group left the room, with Jinx bringing up the rear. He grabbed his backpack with his good hand and began to follow them, uneasy about how things were going to end up.

'_I can't stop anything, not even if I wanted to,'_ he thought.

Moten glanced back towards his comrade and silently made his way to the rear in order to stand next to Jinx. Veger was still standing atop his shoulder yet he didn't care whether or not he was there.

"Do not look so depressed, my friend. This is a joyous day," Moten told him.

"I know but that still doesn't give me a reassurin' feeling that everythin's going to be fine. Somethin's gonna happen," Jinx replied.

Veger narrowed his eyes, wondering if Jinx was pulling the double-crossing ploy again but knew he wasn't with the worried look in his eyes.

"Come on, you three, we have no time to waste!" Razer yelled back at them.

00000

Jak stepped into the room to see Keira lying in the bed, a hand covering her face. She appeared to be distraught over something but he couldn't tell what it was. He nervously walked over to her side.

"Keira, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I remember the face of the one who attacked me," she barely said.

Jak widened his eyes, knowing he would be able to get back at the guy who attacked her.

"Who was it? Is it anybody we know?" Jak wanted to know.

Keira nodded her head, unsure how to respond. Jak could tell that whoever she saw, scared her greatly.

"Tell me Keira," Jak demanded.

Keira stared at his and gulped, knowing that it was inevitable to keep it from him.

00000

Tryce stared at the screen before him, hoping to devise a plan of action soon enough that the Group would not win the battle and the war. Sig stepped up behind him, wondering how much longer things were going to be. He was itching to find these guys and make them pay.

"Don't worry yourself Sig. You'll get a nosebleed," Tryce finally told him.

"I don't trust you Tryce and you know that. The only reason I'm 'working' with you is because all I want to do is get Ashelin back and stop these guys before they do something terrible to the city. You and Torn are the only ones who've had any real experience dealing with the Group when they're all together," Sig replied.

Tryce gave a smirk, shaking his head as he continued with the plans. He began to type in a few words when Jak barged in through the door, an equally angry Daxter sitting on his shoulder. He stormed up to Tryce and slammed his hands down onto the console. Tryce simply leaned back in the chair, a smile on his face.

"You seem perturbed," Tryce stated.

"I'm going to make you pay for hurting her!" Jak yelled at him.

"And I'm going to punch your eyes out! No one does that to one of my friends and lives to tell about it!" Daxter put in.

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific. I've hurt so many people in my lifetime," Tryce replied.

Jak growled as he drew his arm and punched Tryce in the face. His head twisted to the side in reaction. Tryce turned back to face Jak, who was growling and prepared for anything.

"You attacked Keira. Your actions sent her to the hospital!" Jak yelled.

Tryce began to laugh as he placed a hand on the spot that had been struck. He stared at Jak for a few moments before pushing him to the wall and restraining him there. Sig grabbed his weapon, waiting for the moment to defend Jak and himself if need be.

"It's so funny. You barge in here, expecting me to remember every single face and name that I ever saw in my lifetime. What does your girlfriend look like exactly? I have been doing some extra groundwork lately," Tryce barely said.

Jak struggled a bit, trying to catch his breath before thinking of the best way to describe Keira to him.

"Well, she's about my age with aqua coloured hair, lives near the stadium…" Jak began.

A glimmer of recognition crossed Tryce's face. The eyes fluttered up in joy and Jak saw this reaction. Rage began to cross his eyes, the dark persona slowly beginning to take over.

"Now I know who you're talking about. She struggled but was no match for me. I didn't think she lived," Tryce mused.

It was the last straw for Jak as he lunged at Tryce. The two tumbled around on the ground, trading blows. Sig decided not to interfere for he knew that someone would get hurt if he did.

The deafening discharge of a rocket soon got everyone's attention.

"What was that?" cried Daxter.

"That almost sounded like an explosion but who would have explosives in here?" Sig mused.

Daxter became worried for he knew of only one elf who handled explosives and that was Jinx. When said elf ran through the door, everyone's hearts dropped. Jak and Tryce scurried to their feet as the rest of the group ran through the door. Rand and Anthar stepped towards the quartet and stared at them. Rand motioned towards Anthar, who nodded and pulled out his gun.

"We are taking over this building. You only have two choices. You can join us or flee and eventually die," Rand told them.

Tryce paled as Cargo and Moten charged towards him, surprising him. Tryce managed to jump out of the way and land on a nearby console, grabbing the dagger hidden on his back. Anthar pulled his gun, immediately aiming it at him.

"I've a good mind to kill you right now," Anthar told him.

"Anthar, there's no sense in killing them without allowing them to make their choice. We have to let them have to see what this city will become," Razer called over to him.

"I would rather die than give in! We've defeated you before, we'll do it again!" Tryce growled.

Cargo smirked from the back of the room before pulling out his own gun and opening fire. Everyone scattered as Sig grabbed his Peacemaker and darted towards the door. Jak quickly followed with Daxter sitting on top his shoulder. Tryce brought up the rear, dodging and deflecting the bullets coming their way. Anthar ran after them, hoping not to lose them from his sights.

Jak, Sig and Tryce ran out of the Headquarters, with Anthar following closely behind before the trio disappeared into the streets of Haven City. Anthar stopped chasing them and shouldered his gun, giving a laugh.

"Run if you feel you can. You won't last that long with us in charge," Anthar muttered.

TBC…


	10. Choice of Plan

"My father was a part of the Group of 9? Impossible! I would have known something like that long before now!" protested Ashelin.

Torn smirked before releasing her from his grasp. He slowly shook his head, in total disbelief. He crossed in arms as he began to circle before leaning in towards her. She moved away, unsure she wanted to hear anymore lies.

"You honestly don't remember them, do you? The other Group members would often go the palace to see your father when you were younger. Besides, I knew he had plans to tell you when you turned 25," Torn replied.

Water began to form in Ashelin's eyes as she closed them. She placed her hands over her ears as if trying not to hear the voices already stuck in her head.

"It can't be the truth!" she cried out.

"But it is Ashelin. If you looked in our archives, you would know the truth behind the subtleties. Your father is the reason I stayed in the Guard for so long! I could have blown his cover long ago but I knew he had something on me but enough about the past, I have some business to do," Torn told her.

He grabbed her and pushed her towards the ground. An unnerving fear began to well up in Ashelin, which scared her more than anything she had ever felt before.

00000

"I can't believe this! How did they ever infiltrate that far into the Headquarters?" Sig demanded.

Tryce calmly watched him as Jak paced back and forth with Daxter perched on his shoulder. He glanced around his house, hoping that Torn would walk right through the door any second.

"Have patience. There is not much we can do right now," Tryce calmly said.

"Easy for you to say, you're a criminal just like them," Daxter snorted.

The next thing the ottsel knew, he was being choked and held against the nearby wall. He gasped for air as Tryce growled at him.

"Be careful what you say for none of you know half of what we did for the city. We do terrorize the people but when push comes to shove, we are not letting anyone take over it, something the Group has tried to do countless times," Tryce told him. "We wait here until Torn returns and then figure out what to do from there."

He freed Daxter, who crawled over to Jak as he gasped for air. Sig gave a silent gulp before backing off the Clan member's back.

00000

Jinx watched Moten as he hunched over the main computer console. Cargo studied the information on another console as Veger scurried about trying to relay information between them. Rand quietly stood near the window as Anthar and Razer stood behind him.

"So where do we start from?" wondered Razer.

"We immediately start our takeover. Try to implement the rules and the curfew. Just remember though that we agreed that no one touches those few certain areas," Rand told them.

"Right, no one goes after the hospital and Onin. I still don't understand why they protect that old witch and her crazy bird," Anthar replied with a sigh.

Razer laughed as he turned to face Anthar. He shook his head before returning his stare back to Rand.

"They protect her for she's been their main ally for years. I believe they feel she shouldn't be involved in this, even though she is. Now go!" Rand explained.

Anthar and Razer nodded before heading towards the door, grabbing Jinx by his injured arm along the way.

"Hey, be careful! My arm ain't good enough just yet for you to be yankin' it," Jinx protested.

"I know but we need your help to liberate this city from these 'Freedom Guards'. We have to make them see that our way is the only way. The plan is the have them do all the hard work for us. Your explosive expertise is just the way to do it. Cargo, come for we'll need your help," explained Anthar.

Jinx rolled his eyes as he was pulled from the room. As Cargo quickly joined them, Jinx glanced back at the other three members before the door shut before his face.

00000

Ashelin shivered as she watched Torn clip his dagger back onto his back. She could feel the anger begin to well up inside her in reaction to what he had just done to her.

"You're despicable," she managed to snarl.

Torn laughed before he turned around and grabbed her by the throat. Ashelin gasped for air as he held her within his death grip.

"I may still love you Ashelin but you know now that we can never be together, between your legacy and mine. I was _born_ to do this kind of thing and I've completely embraced it," Torn retorted.

He dropped her to the ground and began to walk out the door, pausing for a moment before leaving completely.

"I have made my choice Ashelin. What's yours?" Torn asked her.

He left the room, a still shaking Ashelin lying in the middle of the floor. Several thoughts ran through her mind and wondered which one would be the best one to listen to. Which idea was the best one to follow through with?

She uneasily climbed to her feet and moved enough to stare in the direction Torn disappeared into. She knew what she had to do now.

00000

Torn carefully stepped out the door and began to head down the street when he felt his shoulder start to ache again.

"Why does it have to ache now? I hope this isn't going to be an interference to clean up whatever the Group has planned," he muttered to himself.

He gave a sigh before pulling a hood over his head, giving glances towards the nearby people. He wondered how he was going to explain to his brother what he had done. It seemed to him that betrayal was in his blood after all that he had done in the past few years.

"Come on guys, you mean to tell me that I'm gonna have to start convincin' these guys that we mean business?" a familiar voice snorted.

Torn glanced to see Jinx and a few of his fellow Group members standing within the mouth of a nearby alleyway. He stopped at a nearby stall, hoping to overhear anything that might be of value.

"It's a good thing those idiots are out of our way. When do we get to finish 'em off for good?" Anthar muttered.

"Patience is always the key. Right now, we have to get these people's attention," Razer replied.

The four stepped out more into the open as Jinx pulled out a small grenade. Torn's eyes widened once he saw it, knowing it was one of Jinx's specials. The Clan member quickly made his way behind the stall before pulling out a gun. He aimed it towards the quartet and fired twice.

The bullets ricocheted off the wall sitting directly behind Jinx. He gasped before Anther others lifted his gun and returned fire, making the other elves in the area scream and run. After the dust settled, everyone growled, immediately having an idea who fired at them.

"It's got to be Torn," Cargo smirked.

"Of course it has to be. Who else can it be? We have to find him," Razer snarled.

"Razer, you and Jinx go on ahead. Cargo and I will deal with Torn," Anthar quietly said.

Razer and Cargo nodded before Jinx had to be pulled away from the scene. He took notice of Torn hiding close to a nearby building. The Clan member took notice of Jinx before he disappeared into thin air.

'_Good luck Torn. You're gonna need it,_' Jinx thought.

Anthar and Cargo stealthily began to scout the area, hoping that Torn would make a mistake to his current whereabouts.

"Where could he have gotten so fast?" remarked Cargo.

"They aren't called the 'Clan of Invisibility' for nothing you know. He's nearby, we just can't see him," replied Anthar.

The two continued their search as Torn watched them from a nearby alley. He sat on a ledge several feet off the ground, fully knowing they wouldn't see him. The pain in his shoulder throbbed intensely, never noticing the support beneath his one foot beginning to give away.

He felt it suddenly drop and it fell to the ground with a dull thud. His stare immediately went to Anthar and Cargo, who took notice of the unexpected sound.

"There he is!" cried Cargo.

They began to shoot as Torn began to scale the wall. He climbed over the side, unsure if they had hit him in the end.

"Blast, he got away! We will defeat you this time!" Anthar yelled.

"Do not worry, my friend for they have no where to hide," Cargo assured him.

00000

To Moten, his eyes began to feel the strain as though he had stared at the screen for many days instead of a few hours.

"Rand, it might be a while before we find what we're looking for," Moten mentioned.

"Trust me, everyone and everything's in there that we need. I've seen them enough times to know," Veger told him.

Rand remained silent, curious as to how the ground troops faired when he heard numerous footsteps just outside the room. Without bothering to turn around, he smirked as he heard the door open.

"It's about time. What took the four of you so long? Did they get our message?" Rand called out.

"I wouldn't be able to tell you but I think I would be able to help one way or another," a strangely familiar voice wondered.

Rand appeared surprised as he turned around to stare at the figure who stepped into the room.

"My, my, my, what do we have here? What brings you here?" Rand said with a smile.

"You want to take over the city? Count me in!" the figure told them.

Veger and Moten looked at each other, equally surprised with the help they were receiving.

00000

Razer and Jinx stepped up to the doors of the Freedom HQ, unable to fulfill the mission Rand entrusted them with. Razer growled as Anthar and Cargo walked up to them.

"We lost him but not without opening fire before he got away," Cargo told them.

The four headed into the main room, prepared to be severely reprimanded. They walked up to Rand, Moten and Veger, who were all standing around the main console.

"We didn't get our chance to get our point across. Torn decided to throw a wrench into our plans," Razer told them.

"That will not be a problem," Rand quietly replied.

The four were greatly surprised, glancing at each other before turning back to the trio. Rand twisted around to face the quartet.

"We have someone who can help us. Someone who is able to get our message across to these people," explained Rand.

"And who would that be? Not many people with that kind of power" demanded Cargo.

"She does," Rand replied.

He lifted a hand to the area behind his comrades. The four slowly moved their heads enough to see a familiar face standing behind them. Ashelin stepped up to them, arms crossed.

"Nice to see everyone again," Ashelin told them.

TBC…


	11. Unusual Turns

"Ashelin, so you decided to join us. What made you change your mind?" Razer mused.

"Torn told me about my father which is something that any of you neglected to mention. As to why I joined you, my reasons are my own," Ashelin replied.

Cargo carefully watched her as she stepped over to the console. She motioned for the several Freedom Guards to step forward. All were unsure how she was going to respond.

"Listen men. Not only are you to obey myself as governor but you are to obey any orders you receive from any of these men, is that understood?" Ashelin ordered.

The guards glanced between each other, unsure how to react to the unusual orders. Ashelin growled before narrowing her eyes at them. They silently agreed that if looks could kill, they would have been long gone.

"Yes ma'am!" they quickly replied.

They straightened up, waiting for their next orders. Ashelin gave a small smile as she turned to fully face Rand, who was mildly surprised. He stepped up to the guards, pleased with what he had in mind.

"We have new rules and a curfew for you to enforce. Also, you have to keep an eye out for two fugitives. I do believe that some or all of you know them. Their names are Torn and Tryce. They may be aided by the ones called Sig and Jak," Rand ordered.

The guards narrowed their eyes in total bewilderment and the Group members could see it. Cargo and Anthar both snickered as Razer gave a small smile.

"If you see any of these men, you are to engage them and bring them down for they need to know the power that is this city," Rand told them.

The guards reluctantly nodded, leaving a very pleased Group of 9 behind. Ashelin narrowed her eyes, glancing over the men in her presence. None of them noticed the grin on her face.

00000

Tryce continually paced back and forth, knowing his brother should have been back hours before. The others watched him, unsure how the Group member was going to react. Tryce walked towards the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of his brother before the sun completely set. The older brother soon twirled around and punched the wall.

"He knows not to be out this long without contacting me! If those bastards did anything to him, they are going to feel my wrath," Tryce growled.

"Never mind him! What's goin' on out there? The Guards are out in force," Daxter wondered aloud.

Jak and Sig walked over to Daxter, who was sitting by the window to see the Guards hurrying about outside. Tryce was still not happy with the situation, knowing exactly what was going on.

"The Group must have somehow convinced them to do their bidding," Tryce snorted.

"I can't see how! They've only ever listened to Ashelin and Torn!" protested Jak.

"If you think I know everything, you've got to get your thinking straight," the answer came.

Sig carefully watched the guards as they yelled their words towards the people and began to force them off the streets. His attention was soon caught by a noise near the back door and turned his gaze to see what it was. It also caught the attentions of everyone else present. Jak carefully made his way towards the back door, a bit wary of who dared come into the house when Torn made his way through the door. He leaned against the wall with a hand grasping his arm, the blood slowly dripping its way onto the floor.

"Torn, what the hell happened to you?" Tryce demanded.

When Torn didn't answer, Tryce forced his brother to sit down in a nearby chair and ripped the armour off his arm to reveal the bullet wound. Tryce growled as Daxter stepped up to his side.

"Whoa, you're really playing this down! When were you planning to tell us this?" Daxter remarked.

When Torn remained quiet, Tryce pulled his dagger out from behind his back and held it out to him, causing Torn to gulp.

"I tried to stop Jinx and a few others from blowin' up a section of city if you must know," Torn finally said, diverting his eyes.

"All by yourself? That was real smart Torn, real smart. What are we going to do now that we've been chased out of the HQ? Now that the Group has the best vantage point and the Guards on their side, we have a slim chance in winning this one. We can only hope for a miracle now," Tryce told him.

Torn didn't reply as Sig carefully eyed them. To the Wastelander, it seemed as if Tryce knew what was going on in his brother's mind. He stepped over to the brothers, hoping that someone had at least the beginnings of a plan, despite the distrust between them all.

"I say we go find out anything that we can about what they're doing. That is at least a start now that Torn is back," Sig told them.

Tryce turned his head slightly away from Sig, unsure what to say to him, Jak or Daxter. The older brother placed a hand over his mouth before beginning to pace back and forth.

"We have to go see Onin. She can give some insight on the situation. Then maybe we can talk to Jinx and we can hope he will tell us something on the inside," Tryce told them.

Torn grimaced as he slowly climbed to his feet. Sig pushed him back into the chair, a determined look on his face. Torn appeared confused as he turned his stare towards the Wastelander.

"You're not going anywhere until you get that wound checked out. I say if we can get to a hospital…" he started.

"It's not like we can waltz right into the hospital and get treated for our wounds. If we had gone every single time we received an injury, people would have started to talk," Tryce interrupted.

Torn stood up and stared at Sig as he stepped into a nearby door. Tryce growled and followed him as Sig glared back, showing his contempt towards the brothers. He felt somewhat rejected for his efforts to help them but it was obvious they didn't need any. He began to head towards the door when Jak ran and stood between them.

"I know you don't trust them. Neither do I after what they did to Keira but they're still our only shot at stopping these guys," Jak told him.

"Listen Jak, I've had it with these two. It's obvious that they don't want our help and I'm not gonna give it," Sig replied.

Sig pushed Jak aside and stepped out the door. The blonde elf watched him leave as Daxter jumped upon his shoulder.

"I say we do the same thing Jak. These two never gave me any reason to trust 'em," Daxter told him.

"Maybe you and Sig are right. I don't trust them anymore even though I feel we need their help. Besides, I don't think we can get into the building and get the Group from their seat of power," Jak muttered.

Daxter gave a grin of victory as Jak took one last look over towards the direction the two brothers headed in before walking out the door.

00000

"What the heck are we going to do Torn? The only people who can help retake this city won't work with the likes of us!" Tryce wondered.

"You think I know everything? If I did, I would've made a whole lot of different decisions," Torn retorted.

He slowly made his way over to the chair that sat in front of the screens. One by one, the shows turned into lively colour. Torn turned his attention to one sitting in the corner and Tryce followed his gaze. Once he realized that the picture was moving and where it was going, he snickered.

"You planted one of the mini cameras on your friend Jak. How clever," Tryce remarked.

"I had to. I knew how upset he would get once he found out what you did to Keira. What I didn't know was if he would still work with us and for how long if he did," Torn replied.

Tryce didn't say anything as he watched the screen slowly change pictures as it walked along the streets.

00000

Jak carefully headed down the street, passing very few people along the way. Both he and Daxter took notice of positions of the several Guards in the area.

"How could they have begun to listen to the Group, Jak? It's as if those jerks have something on the Guards," Daxter mused.

Jak shrugged his shoulders as he began to move into a nearby alley to avoid them. He followed the alley, hoping to get to the hospital as quickly as possible to see Samos and talk to him about the situation.

As he stepped into view of the hospital, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Cargo snickered as he fired into the wall directly behind them. Daxter screamed out in horror before jumping off of his friend's shoulder. He darted towards the hospital only to find that a net had been waiting for him just within the doors.

"No fair! I protest!" cried the ottsel.

"Daxter!" cried Jak.

He glanced around to find he was surrounded by several Guards. Anthar and Razer stepped up from behind the troops and snickered.

"Anthar saw you a few moments ago, when you entered the alleyway. Thought you could get away from us now, hmmm?" Razer asked him.

"You got what you want: total control of the city. What else is there?" Jak demanded.

"That's simple, really. We want the Clan to suffer and have them witness the end of their precious city," Anthar replied.

"And I do believe that you know where they are. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You won't get away either approach," Cargo told him.

Jak gulped but didn't say a word. When the three noticed this reaction, both Anthar and Cargo laughed out loud. Razer stepped forward, as if taunting him to attack. But Jak had other plans. He darted to a small space between two of the Guards. They were caught slightly off-guard as Jak managed to get free from the crowd.

"Fire!" Razer ordered.

The Guards raised their weapons and began to fire. Jak dodged the bullets until one hit him in the shoulder. Jak grunted as he felt the force of connecting with the stone street. Jak squeezed his eyes shut for a split second and when he opened them, he found Anthar kneeling next to him.

"Rand is interested in seeing you and the rodent again. As a matter of fact, so does someone else," Anthar whispered to him before raising his voice. "Bring him!"

Two guards stepped over and forced Jak to his feet. They began to lead him back to the HQ. Along the way, Jak wondered who else would want to see him.

00000

"My, my, it looks like they are after those two as well as us. We have to be careful once we go see Onin. Do you have any plans for your friend?" Tryce mused.

He turned to his brother, who remained silent the entire time. Torn's hand covered his mouth and several thoughts swirled through his mind, wondering what they should indeed do next.

00000

Rand stared out the window as Ashelin stepped up behind him. She crossed her arms once he gave a small smirk and turned around.

"Tell me dear Ashelin, why betray the people who have always trusted you?" wondered Rand.

"You can ask me that but you'd also have to ask Torn that same question. He's done the same thing and I can't trust him anymore," Ashelin replied.

Rand nodded, knowing that was the truth but he soon motioned to Jinx for him to join them. Rand placed an arm around Jinx's shoulders and sighed.

"Jinx, you've always considered Torn as a friend, right?" Rand questioned.

"Yeah, despite the misgivings of you and the others. You know that," Jinx said.

"But Ashelin doesn't. See, my dear? Anyone can be trusted, it just depends on who ask," Rand laughed.

The hiss of a door opening caught their attention and all three looked to see Jak being led into the room by Anthar, Razer and Cargo. The young blonde was blindfolded, gagged and his hands were tied behind his back. He was soon forced to his knees in front of Rand. The self proclaimed leader stepped forward, clapping his hands.

"Bravo! I've been waiting for you Jak. First things first, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Our newest member of our team, in fact," Rand told him.

'_I've been waiting for this moment too. I'm dying who else you found since the other two members are dead,'_ he thought.

Rand nodded to Razer, who grasped the blindfold and ripped it off. Jak's eyes widened once he saw Ashelin standing before him.

"You'd better believe it Jak for my father was part of this Group. I know that now thanks to Torn," she explained.

"Speaking of Torn, how has he been doing? After all, he gave us the information we needed to finish our plans to infiltrate this place," Rand questioned.

Jak could feel his anger welling up inside of him as he heard this news. He couldn't believe that Torn had betrayed him and the others once again.

"You seem surprised. Does this mean that Torn never told you about this? I'm not surprised though. You see, betrayal in his blood, just like all of us and no matter what you do, he'll do it again," Rand told him.

TBC…


	12. Enter: The Group of 9

"You did what? What did they bribe you with?" demanded Tryce.

Torn gave a sigh, taking a moment to find his voice. He stood up and faced his brother, giving him a stare of defiance.

"They offered me Ashelin. You know how much I love her and it was probably one of my few chances left to actually do anything with her. I told them what they needed to know and they let me have my way with her," Torn explained.

Tryce did not appear happy as he lifted his hand. The older brother wanted to hit his brother but something held him back. Something that made him lower his arm and chuckle.

"One way or another, we should get to Onin. Hopefully, we can get there without the Guards finding us," Tryce told him.

Torn gave an inward sigh of relief as he slowly stood up and followed his brother out the door. Tryce took notice of how gradual Torn's movements were and was inwardly concerned about him. They had been through several scrapes before and managed to survive but the older brother sensed something different about this time.

And that something could mean their deaths in the end.

Tryce moved back to his brother and grabbed his arm. Torn briefly glanced in Tryce's direction, unsure how to react to his brother's comfort.

"Listen, I may be angry with you over what happened but we can get past this, like what we have before. All that matters now is that we survive. Now let's get to Onin," Tryce quietly told him.

They silently left the house, hoping it wasn't going to be for the last time.

00000

Rand paced back and forth, glancing continually over towards their prisoner. Jak carefully watched everyone who was present but he soon found himself looking back towards Ashelin, who never bothered to even glance at him out of the corner of her eye. She stood grandly with her arms crossed and appearing fiercer than ever before. Jinx leaned against a console behind her, arm in a bandage and Jak could see the mild worry in his eyes.

'_It must be about Torn. I seem to remember that they were friends for a long time now, despite where their allegiances lie,' _Jak thought.

Inwardly, Jak hoped that friendship would give the two brothers the advantage they needed to bring down the power of the Group of 9. He wasn't certain anymore if Ashelin could be trusted.

"Listen everyone; you all know we have to find the two brothers. We have to think of a plan to destroy these two before they conceive a way to defeat us first," Rand told them.

"They have many hideouts, like we do. Perhaps we can storm all that we are aware of, forcing them out in the open," suggested Moten.

Veger jumped onto the console, bringing up a map of a section of the city. Ashelin recognized it as the part of town where Torn used to live.

"I suggest the first place we hit is their home. All of you should know that's where a lot of their work has been done. If we take that out, their resources will be severely diminished. We can figure out where the best places are to attack from as the day goes on," Veger told them.

Most of the group smiled while the stare of uncertainty remained in Jinx's stare and Ashelin was emotionless. Razer stepped up to the female elf's side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Relax darling. Everything is going turn out fine, hmmm. Once we eliminate the problems that plague this city, we will have complete control to do whatever we want," Razer told her.

"And don't worry about your former friend Torn. We will make sure we give both him and Tryce a quick death," Anthar put in.

Jinx narrowed his eyes, inwardly not feeling so convinced by the words his comrades and he felt like he was going to vomit. His stomach was doing somersaults and he found his arm throbbing harder than before. He took notice of Ashelin reluctantly nodding her head and wondered how well she could be trusted.

"I can dispatch the Guards to infiltrate the house and take control over it," she told them.

"That would not be the best. Letting too many people know about our secrets could be dangerous. The only thing they need to know is that a renegade group penetrated the HQ and took over. I am unsure what would happen if we lost this war and the people found out about your father. They could run you out of town," Anthar explained.

Moten and Cargo took notice of Jinx as he began to cautiously head out of the room. They gave each other knowing looks that something was going on in the mind of the explosives expert. Cargo hurried over to Jinx and stepped in front of him, making him stop in his tracks. Moten soon stepped over to them as Jinx realized they were now questioning his actions.

"Where do you think you're going my dear friend?" wondered Cargo.

"You seem to be in such a hurry. Not off to warn Torn, now are you?" Moten mused.

Jinx carefully turned his stare between the two, knowing that whatever he said could be used against him.

"My head's gettin' foggy, guys. I need some fresh air before I pass out," Jinx mumbled.

The two said nothing as they allowed their comrade to walk out the door. Rand and Anthar stepped up to the two, mildly worried stares on their faces.

"Jinx does not usually succumb to those types of symptoms let alone show them. Perhaps there is something with his injury that he's not telling us. Anthar, perhaps you'd better follow him," Rand mused.

Anthar nodded his head and began to head out the door when Ashelin stopped him. Anthar narrowed his eyes, wondering what was going through the mind of the new recruit.

"I'll go after him. You'd be of more help here planning the raid than following Jinx. I can't say I know the city better or know him better but I just might better bedside manner than any of you. You can fill me in on the details later on the raid," Ashelin told them.

Rand thought about the request before nodding his head. The group watched her leave after Jinx and once she was out of earshot, Anthar turned to Rand, apparent that he was angry.

"Why did you let her do that?" demanded Anthar.

"Be patient. You know that she's been blissfully unaware all these years of her birthright and that she's cared for the people of the city for years. I have a feeling that she has not had a complete change of heart," Rand replied.

Anthar smiled, understanding. Moten and Cargo exchanged glances, emotionless in their expressions. Veger jumped down from the console and crawled onto Moten's shoulder while Razer crossed his arms and watched the others.

00000

Jinx stumbled out into the alleyway, his eyesight mildly failing him. He was completely unaware that he had a follower as he leaned against the wall, almost completely obscured by the dumpster and an overhanging ladder. He placed a hand over his eyes as a shadow slowly blanketed his body. He glanced up to see Ashelin standing over him.

"What do you want? I thought you'd be inside, helpin' the others plan an attack on the brothers," Jinx muttered.

"I came to see how you were doing. You didn't appear too healthy inside and the others are worried about you," Ashelin explained.

Jinx snickered, not moving the hand from over his eyes. Ashelin became confused with the reaction. She watched as Jinx slowly climbed to his feet and turned to stare at her.

"You've gotta lot to learn before you can truly call yourself a part of the Group, ya know. You gotta prove that you can be amongst the likes of us," Jinx told her.

Ashelin didn't appear too fazed with his words as she tried to move closer. Jinx immediately held out his good hand in order to stop her. She halted as Jinx put on a worried look.

"You do what you wanna do Ashelin, I can't stop you, just like you can't stop what I'm about to do," Jinx told her.

He began to walk past her, out of the alley when she suddenly, and inadvertently, grabbed his bad arm. He grimaced as he turned his head enough to see what she wanted. He growled loud enough for her to hear.

"I know where you're going and I figure you can't get there by yourself in your state," she calmly said.

Jinx began to quietly laugh as he slowly removed his arm from her grasp. They stared at each other for several seconds before Jinx decided to say anything.

"And how do you know for certain where I'm going?" he wondered.

"You're going to find Torn and the place you're going to start is Onin's for he and Tryce have a few hideouts themselves. Believe it or not Jinx, I want to help," Ashelin smirked.

Jinx didn't reply as he tried to straighten his back. He began to turn his stare towards the people milling out about the city.

00000

Tryce carefully helped his brother into view of Onin's tent. Torn stepped away from his brother and leaned against the nearby wall as Tryce moved closer towards Onin's tent.

"Well, this is it. Let's get going," Tryce sighed.

The two walked into the tent to be greeted by the older elf, with Pecker sitting quietly in her hat. He carefully opened his eyes to greet them and slowly shook his head.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same. You two still come to us like _this_," Pecker sighed.

Torn snorted Tryce gently helped him down to a sitting position. The older brother carefully got down on one knee as Onin began to wave her hands around. Pecker carefully watched her before returning his stare towards the brothers.

"Onin says she knows why you're here. She wants to warn you for it appears that terrible things are going to happen," Pecker relayed to them.

"I never would've guessed," Tryce mused, the sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Pecker slowly shook his head before flying over to the older brother, who growled and moved his shoulder so the parrot wouldn't land. Pecker accepted the fact and hovered in front of him. Pecker glanced long enough to see what Onin was saying and sighed.

"Listen, she says the two of you have a lot to face. Danger quickly approaches you and someone's life will be forever shattered. She can't be certain whose but she fears that death is quickly approaching," Pecker told them.

Both Torn and Tryce were horrified as they listened to Pecker's words. Tryce climbed to his feet and grabbed the interpreter by the throat. Pecker gasped for air as he attempted to free himself.

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Tryce.

"Don't…look at … me. I'm …just …the messenger," Pecker managed to choke out.

Tryce threw the bird across the tent before storming up to Onin, who had stopped waving her fingers around. She stared at him with her blank eyes, making Tryce start to think about the fear welling up inside him. She waved her hands a few more times and the brothers waited for an interpretation but heard no reply.

"Pecker…" began Tryce.

Pecker glanced around at the other occupants of the tent as he gasped for air. He returned his stare towards the brothers, unsure how they were going to react. Both brothers turned their stares to the entrance of the tent, sensing someone outside.

"Who's there?" wondered Torn.

The flap of the tent entrance opened to reveal a strangely familiar face. Tryce faced the figure as he took a defensive stance.

"Get out of here," snarled Tryce as he emphasized every word.

"We're not here to fight. You should know me by now, I've always been your friend," came a sarcastic tone.

Jinx slowly moved the older brother, who did apparently not believe him. The explosives expert tried not to show his discomfort as he took notice of Torn sitting nearby.

"You said 'we' Jinx and we can sense two of you. Who's your friend?" Torn wanted to know.

Jinx looked over his shoulder and his companion stepped into the tent. Ashelin stepped forward as the disbelief grew within the Clan members.

"Ashelin, I'm surprised to see you here. You do have new friends after all," Torn growled.

"I'm not here because I'm friends with them, I'm here to help the two of you," she replied.

TBC…


	13. Ruses

"Ashelin, you're here to help us? I don't seem to believe that," Torn demanded to know.

He slowly climbed to his feet and unsteadily began to walk towards the redhead. Ashelin took notice of his cautiousness and the fact that he was cradling his shoulder. She began to wonder how injured he really was versus how much he was showing.

"You need help to stop these men and you're going to turn down the only aid that's being offered to you?" she posed.

The brothers didn't respond unsure how to reply to the offer being made. Ashelin stepped around Torn and stared at him, hoping he would give any indication to how much medical help he required. Torn began to laugh just before he began to violently cough.

"Ashe, you need not be reminded of who your company is. Jinx, Tryce and I have done enough betraying in our lives that most people wouldn't believe and anyone is capable of doing it. That includes you Ashelin," Torn explained.

"Right now, it doesn't matter whether or not I am capable of treachery, I'm still here to help," Ashelin growled at him.

Torn quietly laughed, shaking his head as if in mild disbelief.

"Yes, it does actually," he barely said.

Tryce's stare had gone towards Jinx as Torn talked to Ashelin and noticed how pale the elf appeared.

'_He's no better than Torn. So I wonder how many are going to die in this battle and before the war is finished,'_ Tryce thought.

Unbeknownst to the quartet, Onin began to move her hands around in a flash of colour. Pecker carefully watched her before flying into the middle of the group.

"Awwwrk! Onin needs to say to look deeper than the facade for all is not at rest. The turmoil goes further than the surface," Pecker told them.

Torn barely gave a smile as the sweat poured down his face. He muttered something inaudible before heading towards the tent entrance. The others watched him before Tryce began to growl.

"Ashelin, I'm sorry but I'm certain that we cannot accept your help. Even though we know you, we can't be certain that everything you're saying is true. I'd have to talk to Torn," Tryce replied.

"Even though I can tell you that we can give you information concerning the other Group members?" she wondered.

Shocked, Tryce glanced over towards Jinx, who mildly shrugged his shoulders. Ashelin smiled to herself at Tryce's reaction.

"She's the offerin' our services, not me but I'm still with her," Jinx smirked.

"We will have to consider this proposal but to warn you, I doubt we will accept it in the end," Tryce snarled.

The two burned their stare into each other, no one moving as the situation became increasingly tense by each passing moment.

"There's something else. Whatever you do, do not go back to your house. It's too dangerous there for you to back there right now. If I can, I will leave you a clue to the attack or whatever else I can," Ashelin warned him

He balled up his fists before storming out of the tent. Ashelin gave a small sigh before turning back to Onin and Pecker. The bird didn't want to say a thing in fear of retaliation. Ashelin nodded towards Jinx to leave.

As soon as they stepped outside, Ashelin turned towards Jinx with a curious look on her face.

"Have they always been like that?" she wondered.

"Yeah, they have. We've been friends and all for years now but they're still wary of me and me of them. None of us know when the other could be lyin'," Jinx responded, giving a nod.

Ashelin returned her stare in the direction that Tryce had left into as thoughts began to swirl in her mind.

00000

Tryce glanced around the streets searching for his brother; he found he began to mutter to himself. He did not like how the circumstances were going. He gave an aggravated huff, realizing that maybe Ashelin's offer was indeed the way to go, despite the fact it could be a trap.

"Where could have gotten to so quickly?" Tryce wondered.

He stopped and took a look around the area before noticing a figure lying on the ground nearby. Tryce groaned as he immediately knew who it was. He hurried over to Torn's side and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. Tryce took notice of the small pool of blood on the ground and grew angry.

"I'm not losing you now, not after all that we've been through," Tryce quietly said.

He gently picked Torn off the ground. He thought about where he could take his injured brother. After a moment, he sighed and began to carry him towards the only safe haven that he thought could take help Torn.

00000

Ashelin and Jinx stepped back into the main room of the HQ to be greeted by the others. Rand carefully watched their every move but everyone was soon horrified when Jinx stopped in his tracks and doubled over. Everyone hurried over to his side, wondering what was wrong with their comrade.

"We should get him out of here. Anthar, you know where to go. Veger, Moten, go with him," Rand said.

Anthar nodded before picking up Jinx and throwing him over his shoulder. The group walked out of the door as Rand turned to the other three.

"We have a plan to carry out. We will fill in dear Ashelin before we strike," Rand told the others.

"Do you honestly think we can carry this out with so few? Anthar is one of our best two gunmen," wondered Razer.

"We shall wait until after the others arrive at the hospital. We should be seen as little as possible by both the brothers and the general public though. I do have to say that when we capture the brothers, I have a treat for them. We are going to have our fun with them before we execute them. Let's go," Rand replied.

Ashelin narrowed her eyes as she listened to the words being spoken. The others snickered between the prospect of being the top underworld sect left and the idea of getting rid of their only competition. Rand watched Ashelin out of the corner of her eye and took note of her reaction.

'_We will find out your position among us soon enough,' _he thought.

00000

Anthar, Moten and Veger made their way into the hospital to be greeted by surprised stares. They stepped up to the counter as the nurses began to gather in a group, scared by their presence.

"My friend here is ill. We demand that you tell us what's wrong with them," Anthar told them.

One nurse gulped and nodded her head though the three were happy that the nurses were terrified. The nurses carefully brought over a gurney and took Jinx away into a nearby room. The three slowly glanced around the room to see that everyone was staring at them, as if expecting them to say something. Anthar decided to make their wish come true.

"Let this be known that this city now belongs to me and my comrades. Anyone who dares defy us will pay the consequences. I might add that this place is the only safe haven for anybody. Those in here will not be harmed while outside, everyone is fair game. I should say that if any of you bother our friend, you will pay dearly for it," Anthar yelled to them.

The three made their way out of the building, never noticing a particular pair of eyes watching them. Samos inspected them from the nearby stairwell on the way down from his daughter's room. He heard what the Group member had to say.

'_I only hope Torn and Tryce have not perished as of yet,'_ he thought to himself.

00000

On the way out the door, a soft beeping came from Anthar's communicator. He grabbed it from the small of his back and answered it.

"Anthar, I have some orders for you. The three of you meet us at the Clan's home. We have a job to do," Rand's voice came from the communicator.

Anthar, Moten and Veger each gave a smile once they heard those words and they began a beeline for the house.

00000

Tryce clumsily slammed his fist on the wall near the old Underground headquarters to reveal the elevator. He stepped inside and the ride was the longest he had ever experienced before the door opened. Tryce made his way to the bed before slowly setting his brother down.

"What have you done? You had to get yourself injured and allow it to take you over enough that you're unable to fight," Tryce muttered.

He ripped the armour off his brother's wound and began to bind it when he heard a noise coming from the room above him. Tryce narrowed his eyes before carefully moving towards the video monitors.

"Who would be here? The only two people who would think of coming here would be Azan and Jinx and the latter is down for the count as far as I can tell," Tryce wondered.

He turned the screen on to see an unexpected face in Sig. The Wastelander appeared deeply worried and the Clan member knew it was about the arisen situation. Tryce sighed before beginning his ascent back upstairs.

00000

Sig shook his head, aggravated that he couldn't find the brothers. He couldn't believe that he found himself heading back to them for help after what he said but after he witnessed Jak's abduction, he knew he couldn't take on seven elves by himself.

"I knew I wasn't going to find them here. What made me think I could find the two people that can't be seen?" he muttered.

He began to head back towards the exit when he came across a familiar face in Tryce. The Wastelander was so startled that he had to take a step backwards.

"What brings you here Wastelander? I thought you didn't want our help," stated Tryce.

"I may have said that but I'm not stupid either. I can't take the entire Group on my own, especially with Jak and Daxter captured. Yeah, I know about them. I saw the abduction. Now we have to come up with a plan together, whether we like it or not," explained Sig. "Now where's your brother?"

Tryce gave a sigh, unsure whether or not to tell him the truth and reveal to him the secrets of the Underground headquarters.

"He's…incapacitated and I have to see how he's doing soon," Tryce replied.

"Why not just go to your house? If I remember correctly, you have more resources there," Sig wondered.

The older brother didn't reply before heading out the door. Sig grabbed his shoulder and his eyes silently demanded some information from him.

"I fear it's going to be too dangerous at our home base. Besides, I have the beginnings of a plan. Wait here and I'll be back as soon as I can," the answer soon came.

"I have to go see someone anyway before we talk further. I'll be back as soon as I can," Sig told him.

Tryce nodded as he watched Sig head into the increasing darkness. He was inwardly relieved that he wouldn't have to show Sig the underground rooms. He headed back downstairs and immediately turned on the video monitors.

00000

The group carefully made their way around the corners of the house, guns in hand. They crept in the shadows as not to be seen by the public. Cargo and Ashelin hurried towards the main door with Rand following close behind. The leader carefully opened the door and the trio made their way inside the room.

They glanced around the room to see it was sparsely decorated yet mildly homey. Rand snickered as he headed towards a nearby wall which he knew led to a hidden room.

"Come on out, you know you can't hide forever. You will die in the process and we will reign supreme," he muttered.

He motioned towards the other two to search the nearby rooms. Rand stared at the wall for one more moment, seeing if could find the one thing to reveal the stairway.

"Anthar, do you hear me?" Rand said into the communicator.

"_Yeah, I do. We're about to head into the basement right now,"_ Anthar replied.

A grin crossed Rand's voice, knowing that they had the upper hand.

00000

Moten and Anthar lifted the door to reveal the stairway leading downstairs. Anthar began to lead the way as he, Razer and Moten, with Veger on his shoulder, followed him. As they made their way into the room, they found it unoccupied with the screens in disarray. Some were on; others were off while the rest were showing static.

"This isn't right. They're not here," Anthar snarled.

He lowered his gun and the others followed suit. Razer stepped up to one of the consoles and tried to access any information he could. When sparks flared up at him, he growled.

"Anthar, it's as if they knew we were coming," Razer called out.

Anthar whipped out his communicator again as the anger clouded his mind. His eyes flared red as he stared around the room.

"Rand, they're not here. It's as if they were expecting us," he said.

There came a moment's pause before a strange noise came from the other end, as if it thrown against a wall. Anthar put his away as he stepped further into the room. He glanced around, hoping to find some indication to where the brothers could be when he heard a sound as if a screen turned on.

"Hello, Group of 9. This is your host, Tryce and I welcome you to my home. Sorry I couldn't be there to show you around but my brother and I are having some issues that we need to contend with," a familiar voice called out.

The four twirled around to come face to face with a screen twice the size of the others they had seen. Veger jumped onto the floor, his face filled with curiousity.

"He has to know we're here," Veger mentioned.

"Of course I do! I was warned of your impending arrival by a friend of mine. I'm sure you all know who it is. I've been completely informed of all your plans and that's why we're not there. In fact, Torn and I are preparing our own in retaliation of yours. We also know how Jinx is incapacitated and many details about the positions of the Guards, plus what you have planned for us. I hope everyone has fun trying to find us before we find you," Tryce replied.

His face disappeared from the screen, making the seven members of the Group do a double take. Ashelin was surprised that they listened to what was said.

00000

Rand balled up his fists, his mind in total disbelief. He turned around, storming past his companions and out the door. Cargo and Ashelin glanced at each other before following him. They met up the others outside and all were in disbelief.

"We have to get back to the Headquarters. We'll discuss this once we get back there," Rand ordered.

He shot Ashelin a cold look before they began to head back to the HQ and she knew how they felt. She also knew that would never be able to explain that not everything that Tryce said was true.

00000

Tryce turned off the screen and turned to stare at his unconscious brother. He slowly shook his head as he stepped over to a nearby closet.

'_I hope that keeps them occupied long enough for me to infiltrate the HQ and stop them from there,' _he thought to himself.

TBC…


	14. Plans Set into Motion

"Who do you think you are Ashelin? Warning the brothers that we were coming? Now you've shown where your allegiances lie and something has to be done about it," Rand roared.

"This proves nothing, Rand. After all, Jinx has been friends with Torn and Tryce for years and you haven't done anything with him yet as far as I know. Besides, isn't this something you wanted for me? That I learn the ways of you and my father? " Ashelin replied.

Rand didn't say anything, staring at the other members of the Group. Razer stepped up to their self proclaimed leader, with his arms crossed and a look on his face that he meant some business.

"She's right you know. Jinx has betrayed us many times during the years, as we have ourselves to him. She _is_ learning the ways that shaped us and the brothers," he mused.

Rand nodded, mildly occupied with many thoughts swirling through his mind. He glanced towards Ashelin's direction, fully knowing that she was watching him. He slowly walked over to her and felt the urge to slap her but managed to resist. Rand leaned in towards Ashelin and she managed not to smack him across the face.

"The sad thing about this whole thing is that we won't until it is too late exactly who is lying. You could easily deny telling them our entire plans just as well as they could insist that you did," Rand quietly told her.

He turned around as Moten stepped up to him with Veger sitting on top his shoulder. They were soon followed by the others and Moten crossed his arms as they approached their leader.

"If they do indeed know what we have planned, that means we are danger anywhere. They could have allies that we are unaware of and they, or the brothers, could attack at any time," Moten told him.

"I realize that. What do you propose I do? I'm willing to listen to any suggestions at the moment," Rand wondered.

The six members glanced at each other, either unable to think of anything or nervous to offer. Rand snickered for he should have known they would have reacted this way.

"I will step up the security around the HQ. Not even Torn and Tryce will be able to make it through and no one is to leave the building until we head out as a group. That way, they won't know a thing unless they manage to get in here," Rand told them.

He glanced between everyone with a cold look. They all watched him leave before Anthar and Cargo stepped up to Ashelin. Cargo stepped around behind her and gently nudged her towards Anthar, who placed an arm around her shoulders.

"I have to admit, Jinx has certainly rubbed off on you during his time working with you during the recent war with the Metalheads although you might not have known it immediately," he told her.

He snickered as he and Cargo began their way out of the room. The others soon began to follow, giving mild distrust on their way out. Ashelin gave a sigh, not noticing that Razer never moved from his position. He stepped to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He gazed over her and she could sense something was on in his mind.

"Dear Ashelin, so much has been thrust upon you in the last while. Why don't you go and rest? I'm sure we're more than able to deal with the situation," he told her.

Razer began to make his way out of the room with Ashelin watching his every move as he left. She narrowed her eyes, wondering what his true intentions really were.

00000

Tryce rummaged around the room, searching for anything that could help with his plans. He gave an irritated sigh as he couldn't find what he really wanted. Tryce gave up before heading back over to his brother, who barely had his eyes open.

"Don't do this Tryce. You'll be killed," Torn managed to get out.

"Better dying in the line of battle than sitting back and letting them find me and you. It may be seven of them versus me but I'm willing to take the risk. Besides, I've got a plan and believe it or not, your former comrade Sig has agreed to help," Tryce replied.

Torn tried to sit up and protest but Tryce quickly left the room, leaving his younger brother in a state of shock through his.

'_I'm going to lose him like we did our parents!'_ his mind screamed.

Torn tried to squirm around in the bed but found he could barely move due to his sudden limitation. He gasped for air; his eyes squeezed shut as he tried not to think about his brother going on a suicide mission.

00000

Tryce stepped out of the elevator to be greeted by Sig. The Wastelander had his back facing the Clan member and turned around once he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"It's about time you showed up. So what's your plan?" Sig wondered.

"We storm the HQ," Torn replied.

Tryce started to make his way past Sig and towards the HQ when he felt his arm being grabbed. He turned enough to face the Wastelander and the concerned look on his face.

"Care to fill me in on it? If we're going to be working together on the way to our deaths, we should let each know what's on our minds," Sig told him.

Tryce thought about what was said for a moment before nodding his head. He motioned for Sig to follow and he began to explain his plan along the way.

00000

Veger, Moten and Cargo made their way down to the main floor. They had some work to do on that level before others were to be made. Veger jumped off of Moten's shoulder and on the console as the elf stepped up to it.

"I am certain that I can find my way into these files again, even though everything's been changed around," he told them.

"You'd better Veger. After all, if we were to lose this city, we can't afford them finding Praxis' file and that of his second in command. He always had the temper in the group," Moten said.

"Never mind that, we have work to do before we regroup and find those pathetic brothers," Cargo piped up.

Veger remained quiet as he continued to explore the computer for the files. In the middle of the search, the trio heard crashing and screaming coming from outside the building. They glanced at each other, wondering what could possibly be going on. They hurried outside to find Sig firing his Peacemaker at the several Guards around the area.

"Halt! You are under arrest!" one guard yelled over to him.

"I don't think so. You'll have to take me down first!" Sig snorted back.

The Wastelander began to run around the group, firing at random intervals at them. The guards followed suit before Sig ran into a nearby street. They began to follow, leaving a very confused trio behind.

"What purpose does he have attacking us by himself?" wondered Veger.

"Anyone who faces us, whether it is solo or in a group is foolish to think they can stop us. After all, we are the Group of 9. Nothing can defeat us now," Moten snickered.

Cargo stood beside them, a nagging feeling at the back of his head. He wished he could shake it off but an instinct was telling him that something was wrong with this picture.

00000

Tryce carefully made his way up the near sheer slope of the building towards an open window about halfway up the structure.

'_I make this look too easy,'_ he thought.

He made his way to the window and poked his head in enough to see that no one was around and climbed inside. Tryce pulled out his gun and prepared himself for anything unexpected as he slowly made his way towards the main computer.

The guard in thehallways were light and Tryce figured that a lot had probably gone after Sig when he attacked the building.

"I hope he's not going to any angrier with me after this is all over," Tryce muttered.

Tryce slowly climbed through the hallways, undetected by the remaining guards before he came to the door to the main room of the headquarters. He smirked as he slowly opened the door to reveal no one in the room. Glancing around to see if there were any traps, Tryce carefully made his way towards the main computer sitting in the middle of the room. Immediately, Tryce's fingers began to fly over the keys sitting before him.

"They make this way too easy for me," he muttered.

"Better rethink that thought," a female voice suddenly came.

Tryce straightened up, in total disbelief that his entirely missed her presence arrive. He mentally hit himself but didn't bother to turn around.

"Ashelin, how nice to see you again," Tryce sighed.

"What do you think you're doing? Toying with the computers, are we?" Ashelin wondered.

Tryce smirked as he slowly raised his hands, indicating that he was no longer messing with anything. He gradually turned around to face the redhead and quietly laughed. She narrowed her eyes, wondering what was so funny.

"I find something funny Ashelin. For most of your life, you are oblivious to everything that goes on in the shadows of Haven City. In the eyes of the people, you were a breath of fresh air compared to your father and his cruel ways. In the end, you're no better than what he was," Tryce mused.

"That's not true!" she cried.

Tryce shook his head, knowing he was right with his words. Ashelin's hand began to quiver slightly before Tryce carefully placed a hand on the end and aimed it towards the floor.

"You may think Torn or Jinx had betrayed you when they sided in an underworld criminal sect but I seem to remember that they didn't. Torn told you that a long time ago. Now, it's too late for him and for me," Tryce told her.

Ashelin couldn't help but stare at him, her eyes opened wide. She continued to stare forward as Tryce slowly moved to get around her. She snapped out of her reverie to see what he was doing and began to fire at him, not caring what she hit. Tryce darted out of the way out of the open door. Ashelin followed only to find an empty corridor. She growled as she scanned the walls with any hope that she could see him.

'_They're not going to like this though I don't know if they're going to believe me,'_ she thought.

Tryce watched her from a nearby air duct and barely managed to keep himself from snickering. He glanced around the area to see Ashelin carefully moving down the hallway and that there was no one else in sight.

Now all he had to do now was find Sig.

00000

Jak stared off into the distance as Daxter continued to attempt to get out of his cage sitting nearby.

"This is becoming old, getting trapped in a cage. Jak, aren't you gonna try and get me outta here?" Daxter called.

Jak barely shook his head, his stare still facing forward at the wall. Daxter stopped his wriggling and turned to glance at his longtime friend.

"What's wrong with you? I've never seen you give up this easily," the ottsel wondered.

"I don't know Daxter. This time, I feel as though it's helpless to do anything. I mean, sure with all those other times, everything was against us but this time, it seems different. There are even more people who know us, who know how we will react. Plus it's the fact we're outnumbered by people who are very skilled at what they do. We also have no way to get out of here," Jak replied.

Daxter's ears disappointingly lowered at his friend's words. He couldn't believe that his friend was actually giving up after all they had been through. Suddenly, his ears perked up in interest as they picked up a noise in the distance. Jak soon heard the voices and the thudding of footsteps heading their way. The two friends looked at each other, wondering what could possibly be going on when a familiar figure was pushed through the door.

"Sig?" questioned Jak.

"Hello cherries, long time no see," Sig replied.

Sig tried to put on a smile but Jak and Daxter could immediately tell that something was amiss. They hoped Sig would elaborate and that this didn't mean the doom of the entire city.

TBC…


	15. Escape to the End

Rand stormed into the main room as the others carefully following behind him. Ashelin was the last to walk in and she stood beside the door, her arms crossed. She was inwardly upset for allowing Tryce to escape her presence. She still had no idea to what extent his tampering with the computer had done.

"What could have possibly happened that he attack us now? Where are they?" Rand demanded.

The others glanced between each other, wondering exactly what Rand meant by 'they'. Rand gave an irritated sigh before slamming his fist down onto the computer.

"I'm talking about the brothers! Do any of you honestly think that blatant attack was anything less than a diversion for those two?" Rand snickered.

No one replied, obviously not realizing that possibility. Ashelin remained quiet, not wanting them to know about her encounter with Tryce just yet. Rand never took notice of Moten stepping towards a nearby computer and staring at the screen. Moten's fingers began to fly over the keyboard and everyone else soon began to take notice.

"What is the matter?" wondered Anthar.

"Nothing, I'm simply going to run a diagnostic to see if any tampering has been done. If we find anything, then we will know how to react," Moten replied.

"May I suggest we find the brothers before they cause anymore trouble? If they truly are in here, they may want to make a few difficulties for us before leaving," Cargo proposed.

The others nodded in agreement before heading out to begin their search.

00000

Ashelin managed to withhold a snort as she followed Razer down the hallway. She wondered how she managed to get lucky enough to be partnered with him. He took notice of her tension and he stopped. Ashelin walked past him but Razer grabbed her arm.

"Listen my dear Ashelin, I know that you do not entirely approve of us. I also know that you cannot entirely be trusted. I have a feeling that you're not telling us something," he told her.

"I've told you everything that I know. I didn't see or hear anything. Now let's just try and find them," she retorted.

She jerked her arm away from his, leaving a knowing smile on his face. He began to follow her again, wondering if he should say anything else to her. Ashelin, on the other hand, was not in the mood for talking. She was still upset over the whole situation and was determined to find Tryce before anything else happened. She really didn't want to be discovered this early in the game. At the same time, she couldn't let the charade take forever for she knew the brothers couldn't last that long.

00000

"Sig, what happened that you got caught? You were the last person I expected to see here," Daxter mused, crossing his arms.

"You spoke too soon Daxter. I did this so I could get inside. I'm fully expecting Tryce to come and get us out of here anytime now," Sig replied.

Daxter's jaw dropped, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. If the ottsel could move, he would be jumping all around.

"Did I hear what I think I heard? Tryce of all people is going to break us out?" Daxter questioned.

Jak's eyes glanced up towards his friend, a small smile on his face and nodded his head. He turned his stare back towards Sig with worried eyes. The Wastelander could also see in the intense curiousity in the younger elf's eyes.

"Yes, I know I haven't really trusted them but as I walked about the streets, I realized that I couldn't take them all on by myself. I needed help and I figured the only help I could get was from Torn and Tryce. Well, more the latter anyway," Sig replied.

Jak narrowed his eyes, his mind wandering back to Torn, the gruff Underground leader he first met a few years before. Nothing could faze Torn and or even stop him for that matter. Torn could keep going even if a whole building collapsed around him. Jak knew that nothing stopped the former KG even when he was first attacked by his own brother several months before.

"What have possibly happened to Torn that he didn't accompany Tryce on this?" Jak wondered.

"What's wrong with my brother is none of your business," a familiar voice rang out.

The three looked to see Tryce standing calmly on the other side of the bars. Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed, it seemed he appeared out of nowhere. Daxter narrowed his eyes as his stare followed Tryce.

"How did you get in here?" Daxter wondered.

"Have you forgotten who I am already? I am a member of the Clan of Invisibility. I walk around undetected, even in plain view. Torn is temporarily incapacitated and don't expect me to go into details. They should see the problems I made with their computers anytime now. Though what I did, they won't see me as the one doing it," Tryce explained.

He stepped up to the bars and began to fiddle with the lock before soon opening it with certain deftness that none of them had ever seen before. The door opened and the three stepped out. Daxter glanced up at the Clan member, an angry look on his face.

"What makes you think we can trust you?" Daxter wanted to know.

"You can't," Tryce simply replied.

He walked towards the door and noticed that the other hadn't started up yet. Tryce barely glanced over his shoulder and gave a snort.

"Well, are you coming are not? I can always let the Guards catch you again," Tryce finally told them after several tense moments.

Sig nodded his head towards the door, indicating that a deal was a deal. Daxter was very displeased with the situation as he scampered onto Jak's shoulder on the way out the door. Along the way down the hallway, Tryce handed Sig his Peacemaker and Jak a blaster. Both gave him a curious look and even though Tryce never saw them, he knew what they were thinking.

"I took a small detour on the way to the dungeon. I figured you two would need those things," Tryce explained.

Both Sig and Jak gave a smile before following Tryce down the hallway.

00000

Veger stared at the computer, hoping to find something remotely curious enough to alert the others of a problem. While the six were making their way to find the brothers, it was agreed that Veger, as the one could help the least in a firefight, should stay behind to keep an eye on the computers.

"If I wasn't stuck in this form, I would be out helping the others to find Torn and Tryce," he muttered.

His gaze screened over the information, nothing immediately jumped out at him. That was until he noticed a tiny inconsistency in the files being flown in front of him. Veger stopped the test and went back to that one file. He accessed it and gazed over it before the files became scrambled before him.

"There is only one people who could've accessed that section in the first place and ample time to plant that virus," he muttered.

Veger jumped off the console and made his way to another console. He pressed a button and hoped for an answer from the team leader.

00000

Rand and Anthar slowly made their way through the hallway, guns in hand and ready for any attack that either brother could make. Rand was expecting neither to show up, for one or both to be in the air ducts or even outside the building by now.

"It is very irritating to know that the brothers had managed to make their way in here," Rand muttered.

"How do you know for certain that both infiltrated the headquarters?" wondered Anthar.

Rand curiously turned towards his comrade and closest friend, wondering what could possibly be said now.

"What if that was a ploy to think they're invading? Or maybe only one made their way inside?" posed Anthar.

Rand nodded, considering the possibility when a soft beep came from his communicator. He picked up to see an upset Veger on the screen.

"What now?" Rand demanded.

"The files within the computer are being scrambled. There also a few files standing out on the computers in this immediate vicinity. There's only one person I know of who could have accessed them unless the brothers figured out how to override the codes, which I doubt it," Veger told them.

Rand growled before slamming the communicator into the ground. It broke into a million pieces but Rand didn't seem to care or notice. He balled his hands into fists as he turned towards Anthar. To him, it seemed as if smoke was rising from Rand's ears.

"Ashelin has betrayed us," Rand snorted.

00000

Tryce carefully eyed Jak and Daxter as they headed down the hallway. He quietly snickered, making the pair glance at him in confusion.

"What's so funny, Pretty Boy?" Daxter wondered.

"The three of you are what I find funny. I'm surprised that any of you are actually working with me, even after what I've done to all of you," Tryce replied.

"We are working with you, yes but don't believe for a second that we trust you. I won't forgive you for what you've done to Keira," Jak told him.

Sig barely listened to the two as they headed down the hallway towards an intersection until Tryce's ears perked up in interest. He grabbed the arm of Sig, who looked at him with a confused look. Tryce leaned against the wall and the others followed suit to see Rand and Anthar head down the hallway. The former was cursing Ashelin up and down, making Tryce smile in triumph.

'_Looks like it worked after all,'_ he thought.

As the headed down the hallway, Tryce stepped into the hallway and glanced in the direction the two Group members headed into. Sig and Jak were mildly confused as they stepped to his side.

"What's going on Tryce?" wondered Sig.

"We make our final stand, that's what's going on," Tryce replied.

00000

The sweat poured down Torn's face as he carefully made his way down the street. He took notice of the several guards in the surrounding area, undoubtedly searching for him.

'_I can only hope that I can get in there. I can't let my brother die in this war. I've already lost my parents because of those bastards,'_ he thought.

Torn glanced around the area to see if he could see anyone nearby. He managed to give a small smile as he carefully stepped up to a close by guard, who was sitting next to an old building. The guard glanced up as he though he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

"Must be seeing things now," he muttered to himself.

But when two hands grabbed him from behind, his eyes bulged out of their sockets as he tried to gasp for air.

00000

"Where is she?" demanded Rand as he stormed into the room.

Veger turned around to look at his comrades. He gave a sigh as he waved his hand towards the screen sitting in front of him. Rand and Anthar looked at it to see the files of the Clan and Group members that were once within the government.

"Only Ashlein could have accessed those files. All other files are continually being scrambled as we speak. It would take a long time to get them back into any semblance of an order," Veger explained.

Rand balled up his fists and slammed one into the wall, barely noticing the door open.

"We were correct in our theory. She did join to betray us," Rand snorted.

"What are you talking about?" Ashelin's voice immediately wondered.

The three looked to see Ashelin and Razer standing on the other side of the room. Her arms were crossed and her eyebrows were raised in confusion. Even despite this, Rand could see the anger within her eyes.

"How do you explain files that are for your eyes only being accessed and displayed all over the computers in this room? Any one of the Guards could come in and see these files," Rand snorted.

"I see the files and I do have access to them as governor but you also have to realize that I'm not the only one who had access to them. Torn's known the codes as second-in-command long before I knew about his deadly past. I never bothered to change them since I thought he was dead," Ashelin explained.

Anthar and Razer began to carefully walk around the redhead, who warily watched both of them and prepared herself for any move they would possibly make. Cargo and Moten suddenly stepped into the room, making Ashelin realize how helplessly outnumbered she truly was.

"Why should we believe you? Give us one good reason why we shouldn't kill you right now," wondered Razer.

He flicked out a dagger as they heard a noise coming from the door. There, they saw Jak, Daxter and Sig. All were surprised by the appearance of the three that were supposed to be completely confined.

"How did you get here? That cell was guarded by the best guards we had!" demanded Moten.

"It obviously wasn't good enough," smirked Sig.

Anthar growled as he, Moten, and Cargo began to make their way towards the trio when a gunshot caught all their attentions. The stares of the Group gravitated towards to where the shot came from and they were all surprised to see Tryce standing there with a raised gun aimed directly at Rand and eyes closed. Smoke was rising from the barrel as Tryce slowly opened his eyes and stared at the Group.

"That's far enough," Tryce told them.

TBC…


	16. Personal Battles

"Tryce, why am I not surprised that you are here? What I am surprised at though, is that your brother is _not_ here," Rand smirked.

Tryce didn't answer. Instead, he gave a deep sigh as he kept his gun aimed directly at Rand, who smirked. Tryce barely narrowed his eyes, wondering what was so funny.

"Be glad that Erol isn't here Tryce. He would've ordered the others to shoot by now," Rand called to him.

Sig, Jak and Daxter curiously glanced between each other, mildly surprised with the name that recently arose within the conversation. Daxter scurried off Jak's shoulder and cautiously stepped over to Tryce, an amazed stare on his face.

"You mean to tell us that Erol, the one who helped Baron Praxis and had such a rivalry with Jak, was a member of the Group of 9 as well? Is there anything _else_ you're keeping from us?" Daxter wondered.

Tryce didn't respond as Jak stared at the Group members in disbelief, particularly at Veger. The thought of him, Erol and Praxis all working in the government began to sicken him terribly. Sig noticed the reaction and wondered what else they would find out about past government officials. Anthar and Cargo stepped forward, with their guns raised and aimed directly at the quartet.

"You do know that you'll never get out of here alive, mmmm?" mused Razer.

Rand darted towards Ashelin and grabbed her around her neck. She grabbed his arms and tried to free herself but was soon stopped by the cold touch of metal against her temple.

"You shoot, she dies," Rand snarled.

The four glanced towards the two. Tryce soon began to chuckle as he aimed his gun in their direction.

"Well then shoot her. She means nothing to us," Tryce immediately replied before Jak could.

The blonde gave Tryce a look that meant business later if they all survived. He turned his stare back towards the Group, who precariously held Ashelin's life on the line. He aimed his blaster towards them, hoping that there wouldn't be too much bloodshed in the end.

"You can speak for yourself, Tryce," Jak barely said through gritted teeth.

He never noticed the glint of mild anger in the Clan member's eyes as Rand carefully made his way towards the rest of the group with Ashelin in hand. Interest was evident in the Group member's eyes as everyone wondered who was going to make the first move.

A shot rang out and hit one of the computers, making all the elves in the room to react. Sig powered up his Peacemaker and fired it at the Group. All of them scattered in order to not get hit by the blast. In the confusion, Rand released Ashelin and she ran towards Tryce, Jak and Sig.

"What the hell were you thinking Tryce?" she demanded.

He glanced towards her, the curiousity evident in his eyes. She shot him a nasty glare to which he abruptly laughed.

"You were infiltrating the Group in order to inform us of their plans? How quaint! Tough luck that I got to them first, Ashelin!" Tryce replied.

He aimed his gun directly at her and she instantly gulped.

"Don't make me shoot you Ashelin. I may explain things to you later if I feel like it but if you want to live 'til then, you'd better join this fight whether it is for us or them," Tryce told her.

Ashelin nodded before reaching for her gun. She maneuvered around the side of the room, intending to after Rand but soon found that Tryce immediately went after him. Daxter and Veger were a scuffle on the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she took notice of Sig and Jak were taking on Anthar, Cargo and Moten. The two found themselves dodging bullets every few seconds, and it wasn't giving Sig enough time for him to fire up his weapon. She could tell that was aggravating him intensely but she knew she couldn't do anything to help.

That left Razer for her.

She narrowed her eyes at the slick-haired elf, who was grinning at her. He flicked out his dagger, making Ashelin laugh quietly.

"What makes you think you can battle me with a knife?" wondered Ashelin.

"Looks can be deceiving my dear, hmhmhm," Razer smirked.

That was when he pulled out a gun, aimed it directly towards Ashelin and fired.

00000

Tryce eyed every inch of the area he traveled on his way after Rand. He knew that if took out the self-proclaimed leader, the rest would most likely fall. They would have to regroup and make other plans.

"You can't hide from me forever Rand! You know this is what I do for a living: hunt people down and kill them!" Tryce called out to him.

No answer came as Tryce continued his cautious actions down the hallway. He knew he couldn't be seen if he wanted to and the same could go for any member of the Group of 9, even Baron Praxis or Erol. Tryce found that funny since he had always thought they were the loudest in the Group.

Well, vocally at least.

Quickly, the Clan member sensed something was amiss and he twirled around and aimed his gun at an empty wall.

"This is very disturbing. My senses are never wrong," Tryce whispered.

He began to back away, gun still aimed in the direction that he sensed _something_. He soon stopped but immediately found that was his first mistake when he found himself being pushed to the ground face first. Tryce glanced over his shoulder to see Rand on top of him.

"I see you still haven't lost your touch. You can still sneak up on us without us seeing you," Tryce growled.

"I can say the same to you. You still haven't lost your touch to be goddamn annoying and intrusive!" Rand practically screamed back.

The two found themselves in a wrestling match and they were soon sprawling all over the floor. Tryce tried to reach for his gun but realized that he couldn't since it was lying several feet away from them. Tryce growled, realizing that it had flown from his hands when Rand jumped him. He began to reach for it and was immediately noticed.

"No, you're not, dear Tryce. You're not going to win this battle!" Rand told him.

"We've won every other battle and we'll still win this war! You won't keep your hold on this city!" Tryce snarled at him.

Both began to reach for the gun and both kept each other from getting closer. Tryce soon managed to knee Rand in the stomach. As Rand gasped for air, Tryce quickly leapt up and headed in the direction of the gun. Before Tryce could reach it, he heard the shot of a gun going off, followed by a sharp pain in the back of his shoulder. He hissed as he felt the bullet connect with bone. He turned around as a hand unconsciously went to his shoulder to find that Rand was slowly advancing on him.

"Thought you take me out that easily? Things have been changing over the years," wondered Rand.

"Yes, they have. Too much if you ask me," Tryce snarled back.

Rand had to give a laugh as he stepped over to the Clan member, who backed up until he hit the nearby wall. The Group member looked at Tryce for a moment, lowering his arm slightly before suddenly lifting it up and cracking the butt over Tryce's head.

00000

Jak gulped as he slowly realized that he and Sig were slowly being overpowered. He barely took notice of the several cuts and bruises, even the occasional bullet scrape, blanketing his body. He glanced over his shoulder to his horror that both he and Sig had been unconsciously backing up towards the wall.

"Sig, we may have escaped only to be killed sooner by these guys," Jak muttered.

"I realize that. I have no idea what Tryce has in mind now," Sig replied.

Anthar stepped forward as Moten and Cargo reveled in the situation. Daxter soon scurried into the mix and jumped onto Jak's shoulder as Veger climbed onto Moten's shoulder.

"Things aren't going well in your favour, are they?" Moten questioned.

"You cannot win against us. Anthar is the best marksman in Haven City," Cargo smirked.

"Don't be so modest Cargo, for you're just as good as I am. We all have our special skills and that is why we all got together in the first place," Anthar said with a laugh.

A growl soon came from outside their circle and Ashelin was shoved in Jak and Sig's direction. Razer joined his comrades as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. A grin couldn't help but escape his lips as he stared at the small quartet standing in from of them.

"It looked like they were going to try and stop us," he mused.

"Looked like it, maybe but their attempt was real _pathetic_!" Anthar yelled out.

"You're still not going to live. We're all still alive and the brothers are still out there," Jak snarled.

They heard the door open and the obvious slump of a body falling on the floor. Everyone glanced in the direction it came from to see Rand stepping in through the door and with an unconscious Tryce lying at his feet.

"They are all defeated. They cannot stop us now," Rand told them. "As soon as Jinx gets better, we will burn this city to the ground."

A shot rang out throughout the room and everyone jumped. No one saw where the bullet had gone so they all glanced around to see where it landed. Several more shots filled the room, causing them all to duck. The shooting soon stopped and Rand cautiously stood back up. He glanced towards his team and growled at what he saw.

Every single member except for Veger had been shot at least once. To him as he quickly glanced around, the wounds didn't appear to be too serious. He twirled around to see who was wielding the firearm. Rand found a Freedom Guard standing in the doorway, the smoking gun in hand.

"Once this is over, you are in deep shit! We are your leaders and you have to listen to our commands! Stand down now and you won't be in nearly as much trouble!" Rand growled.

The guard didn't answer as he slowly moved forward. He stepped closer to Rand, who pulled out his own gun. They were only a few feet away when the guard stopped and gave a small snicker. Rand glared at him as he recognized the laugh.

"Torn, I should have known," Rand mused.

He pulled off the helmet to reveal his face. Jak couldn't believe his eyes as he glanced over the Clan member. To the young elf, Torn appeared fine but Jak knew that something was wrong and he hoped that wouldn't mean the end of everyone.

TBC…


	17. Inevitable Battle

He was extremely worried for he could see the minor convulsions Torn's body was involuntarily making

"I can't let you do this. You're not going to have anymore control over this city and I won't hesitate to kill you if you harm my brother any further," threatened Torn.

Every single person present had a different look on their faces, ranging from total disbelief to intense worry to completely unfazed. Rand stepped forward, arms crossed and prepared for just about anything Torn could through at him, even a gun.

"Torn, you're obviously not in the shape to face us. If you were, you would've helped your dear brother here in the original attack. So why don't you just surrender and we just _might_ let you and your brother live?" Rand replied.

Torn shook his head as he heard a groan coming from the floor nearby. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Tryce was slowly arousing from his induced sleep. His eyes glanced around the room, unseeing as his mind began to clear from its foggy gaze. The first thing to fill his mind was fear when he saw his brother standing nearby.

"Torn, you shouldn't have come here," he barely managed to whisper.

He was extremely worried for he could see the minor convulsions Torn's body was involuntarily making. Movements that would any normal elf wouldn't immediately notice. But Tryce wasn't any normal elf. Then there was the sweat that was starting to form on the younger brother's face.

'_He shouldn't be here! He's now got an infection and he's going to get himself killed!'_ Tryce silently screamed.

Tryce glanced over towards the Group, hoping they would give any indication to what their plans might be now. They gave nothing except the glee of knowing they would be victorious after so long of a battle.

"Even though Jinx is not with us, I'm sure he will enjoy the news when we tell him we have finally won!" Moten snickered.

Torn managed to give a small snicker, barely lowering his gun and making the Group members mildly confused with the reaction.

"If you really want to go back to the old ways, how about the old 'Showdown'?" Torn questioned.

Rand crossed his arms as he glanced between the other members of his crew before Moten stepped forward.

"The Showdown is something that your family has always excelled at, Torn. As a matter of fact, you and your brother have always done something to turn the fight to your favour. What makes you think that it should be any different than before?" he wondered.

"Didn't say it would be," Torn snickered.

He aimed his gun skyward and fired it once more. The bullet hit the lights, destroying them completely and plunging the room into semi-darkness. Anthar glanced around the room, hoping to find any sign of Torn or any of the others.

Jak found his eyes slowly adjusting to the semi-darkness. He saw weapons being drawn on both sides. Sig carefully watched and moved in accordance with the Group members. Jak took notice that both Torn and Rand had disappeared from the room as did Tryce. The blonde didn't have to wonder why they were all gone or really care for that matter.

--

Rand hurried down the hallway, fully knowing that he was being followed. Over the years, he found the brothers very difficult to defeat whether it be together or on their own. As he moved around, he took notice of every area around him for he knew they could be anywhere. Lifting his gun, he carefully turned around in order to scan the ceiling behind him before snickering.

"You can't hide forever Torn. Circumstances changed against your favour over a decade ago and you haven't been able to recover completely from it and you never will. You know I speak the truth," Rand called out.

He heard a small clatter behind him and twirled around to see a figure standing down the hall from him. Rand gave a small smile as he looked over Torn.

"You are pathetic. You can't win this in your condition. I always found your predicament quite humourus. The mighty Baron Praxis leading one of his greatest enemies and with a threat hanging over his hiead," Rand told him.

"I can try. We've always defeated you before," Torn replied.

Torn could barely control the tremors his arms was uncontrollably making. From where Tryce was watching, he wanted to get his brother out of there immediately and get him medical attention but knew he had to wait. He watched as his brother began to move in tandem with Rand.

"You're mistaken Torn. You can't and won't win this one. Prepare to die!" Rand yelled.

He dropped his weapons and immediately lunged for Torn, who responded by releasing his own weapon and lifting his arms in defense but it was too little, too late. Rand tackled the Clan member and the two fell to the ground. Torn felt the air whoosh out of his body as Rand landed on top of him. The Group leader had managed to pin the barely struggling Torn to the ground before giving out continuous punches.

'_I can't believe it's going to end like this!_' Tryce's mind screamed.

He tried to hold back the tears as he watched Rand pummel his brother into unconsciousness. Tryce slipped down from his perch as Rand slowly climb to his feet.

"Tough luck, Torn. Now to find your brother and deal with him as soon as I deal with you," Rand muttered. "This was too easy."

He picked up his gun and aimed it directly at Torn's head. Rand slowly began to pull the trigger when he heard a gunshot coming from behind him, almost immediately followed by a sharp pain in his back. Rand stumbled forward a few steps before slowly turning around. He found Tryce standing several feet away, gun in hand. Tryce fired it twice more, each time hitting Rand in the torso.

"It's over all right, but not in your favour after all," Tryce snorted.

Tryce hurried up to his brother's side to see that he was still alive as Rand watched every move that was being made. Rand cringed as Tryce stood up and walked in his direction.

--

Jak, Daxter, Ashelin and Sig found themselves again trapped in a corner and they didn't like it that much. The Group members surrounded them, the laughter obvious in their voices.

"I don't know what your friends were trying to accomplish but it didn't work," Moten mused.

The Group members began to laugh until they heard several gunshots. All failed to dodge and all except Veger felt a pain as at least one bullet made contact with each of them. Everyone looked to see Tryce dragging an injured Rand into the room. The Clan member unceremoniously dumped Rand onto the floor. Blood ran down Rand's nose as he glanced towards his friends and colleagues.

"Your great self-proclaimed leader has fallen. Give up now or else," Tryce warned.

"Or else what, Tryce? You're alone!" Razer snapped back.

Tryce raised his eyebrows only once when he lifted up a small device and gave a smile. Ashelin immediately recognized the device and was internally filled with terror at the prospect of what Tryce was about to do.

"You fail to remember that my brother has had more than enough contact with one of your members since you were last together. He's learned a few tricks that he passed on to me," Tryce mused.

With a huge grin on his face as he stared at the Group of 9, Tryce pressed the button. A deafening explosion emitted from the wall behind the Group members, accompanied by a wall of flame. Cargo rose back to his feet in order to glance around at his comrades to see they had also been thrown several feet because of the blast. All were injured to some extent, making Cargo growl. He glanced back to where Tryce had been standing only to find the Clan member had disappeared. Anger began to well up inside Cargo as Razer slowly rose to his feet. The two stepped up to each other, unhappy looks on their faces

"Tryce, you are a shrewd one," muttered Razer.

He stole a glance towards the wall only to find that most of the computers in the room had been destroyed. The three soon heard a faint voice calling their names and they glanced to see Rand trying to wave them closer. The two slowly made their way over to their leader. As they reached him, they heard several more distant explosions from beneath their feet. Rand growled as Cargo helped him to his feet. Veger bounded up Moten's leg and onto his shoulder as they slowly regrouped.

"We have to retreat. The HQ is destroyed and we are in no shape to resist the masses that are bound to come," Rand told them.

"All this hard work and those two brothers yet again defeat us," muttered Razer.

--

Jak, Ashelin and Sig couldn't help but watch as the Freedom Headquarters slowly burned itself away. Daxter sat perched on top Jak's shoulder with his arms crossed.

"I knew Torn couldn't be trusted. After all, look what he and Tryce did. They blew up a building. I swear, they're nothing but terrorists," he quietly said.

"They did it so the Group of 9 wouldn't take over the city permanently. The way I see it, they saved all of us," Jak absently said.

No one said anything else as crews arrived on the scene to put out the fire. The only thing Ashelin was worried about was if Torn was still alive. She knew that if he did survive, this wouldn't be the last that any of them would see him or Tryce. All knew they would at least see the Group of 9 again in battle.

TBC…


	18. Aftermath

Jak slowly made his way into the hospital, taking notice of the staff running around trying to make sense out of everything again

Jak slowly made his way into the hospital, taking notice of the staff running around trying to make sense out of everything again. He silently headed for Keira's room to find both her and her father sitting there. She smiled as she walked over to him and embraced him.

"It's good to see you up and about Keira. You had everyone scared for a while there," Jak told her.

"I couldn't wait to get out of there. The doctors checked me over and they've told me I'm not pregnant and that I don't have any diseases to worry about," she said.

Jak glanced over at Samos before stepping over to him. Jak narrowed his eyes at the mild fret in the sage's eyes.

"What's wrong Samos?" wondered the elf.

The sage didn't reply, creating some worry within the younger elves. Jak was about to open his mouth to speak when Samos beat him to it.

"What's happening now with Ashelin? I mean, with her father now revealed as an even crueler man than what we first imagined and her temporary betrayal, what is she going to do now?" Samos asked.

Jak glanced between the two, unsure how to tell them about the situation with Ashelin. He gave a deep sigh before deciding to open his mouth.

"She's decided to stay on as governor as long as she possibly can," Jak explained. "Even though she feels that's not going to last long considering all that's happened lately."

Samos nodded as they headed out of the building. The sage glanced around the area as they began to make their way back to the Freedom Headquarters. Samos couldn't help but sigh at the destruction that was caused ever so recently.

"So much trouble has come from these two old criminal sects. They make you wonder how well you can trust anyone anymore," Samos muttered.

"You got that one right, Samos. We all thought we could trust Jinx and Torn but both turned out to have dark secrets that no one would have thought possible. I also can't believe that Jinx managed to disappear into thin air as with everyone else. It's almost like they don't want to be found again," Jak agreed.

00000

A small figure gazed over the trio from a distance and slightly lowered his head, balling his hands into fists. A scowl crossed his face as he turned around and scurried away from the scene. He carefully moved through the streets, being extra wary not to be seen. He maneuvered himself into the shadows before finding a small crack in a wall and found himself inside a large room. The tiny face glanced over his comrades, who were all in various stages of recovery.

"Veger, it's good to see you back in one piece. That means you weren't spotted by anyone. Any news?" wondered Cargo.

"They're rebuilding the headquarters and other various parts that were damaged. We should wait a few months before we attempt to do anything," the ottsel replied.

He climbed onto Moten's shoulder, despite the fact it was in a brace though the elf didn't mind it one bit. Jinx and Razer were quietly discussing something in the corner and everyone was glad that the explosives expert has awoken in time to get him out of the hot zone before it was swarmeds with Freedom Guards.

"How's Rand doing?" wondered Veger.

"He's furious. He was so certain of the outcome this time. We have no idea what he is going to plan next, if anything. Anthar's in the next room with him as we speak," Moten told him.

Cargo began to pace back and forth as the others turned their stares towards him. All were beginning to guess what was on his mind. It was the same thing that was on their minds since they were forced from the Freedom Headquarters. Cargo turned back towards his comrades and finally voiced the one question that was on everyone's lips.

"What news of Torn and Tryce? They have not been seen or heard from for since they blew up the Freedom Headquarters. We do not know of their status or even if they're dead or alive," Cargo piped up.

Everyone glanced between each other and none said anything for they all knew they answer: no one knew anything and it would most likely stay that way for quite a long time.

00000

"We suffered in the past before. This time was no different," Anthar assured him.

Rand did not answer, barely acknowledging his long-time friend or the pain that was beginning to swell within his body. He was furious over the outcome of the most recent battle and Anthar knew that Rand wasn't the least bit in a mood for anything right away.

"Is this our fate Anthar?" he suddenly questioned.

Anthar's ears perked up in interest at his friend's words but did not answer: he wasn't entirely certain what Rand was rambling about. The leader turned towards Anthar with curiousity in his eyes that was never there before. Yet there was another feature that was never there: a fire whose flame had been greatly diminished.

"It seems like we never defeat the brothers and whoever they are fighting alongside with. Is it possible that our fate is to always lose?" repeated Rand.

Anthar was stunned by the question and found he was unable to answer his friend's question. Rand turned away from his friend again and stared at the farthest wall.

"We shall have to wait. The near future may soon be changing," Rand quietly said.

00000

Tryce held his hands together as he sat into the chair. It was situated next to a bed which had Torn lying unconscious within its covers. His mind was swirling with the events of the last few days. Azan milled around him on a communicator, trying to get a nurse willing enough to come take of someone unable and unwilling to be moved.

"Torn, you are one son of a bitch, I had everything under control," muttered Tryce.

Tryce heard Azan give an exasperated sigh as he turned off the communicator. The older elf turned towards Tryce and crossed his arms in disgust.

"They are reluctant to send anyone and besides, all their staff is way too busy with all the other casualties. They remember the last time they came to help me with you two. Keep in mind that you harassed them something terrible! It looks like we might be on our own," Azan told them.

Tryce barely nodded his head, fully knowing how upset Azan was at that moment. He knew their old friend would furious once he found out about the risks they took in order to reclaim the city.

"Onin might be right," mumbled Tryce.

Azan turned towards his friend, a look of curiousity soon overpowering the glare of disgust. He didn't want to know why the soothsayer had anything to say in this matter. As far as he was concerned, everyone should be thankful that they were still alive.

"Torn is stable enough for now and all we can do is wait," Tryce finally spoke up.

"What about yourself? You haven't been looking that well either, not when I first came and especially not now," Azan sighed.

"I'm not so sure that's as important anymore. Every time we head out to face these men, we will defeat them but with grave injuries that sometimes have taken months to heal. Our luck has to run out sooner or later," Tryce replied.

The older brother stepped out of the chair and knelt beside his brother's bed. He carefully glanced over Torn's features, making sure the elf was not already dead. Sadness began to well up inside Tryce, along with an uncertainty that he never felt before.

"Why does it always have to come to this?" Tryce voiced aloud.

The End

Thanks to all to read. Hope everyone enjoyed to some extent. I'll be back!


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